Aristocrat Constance Marten’s partner Mark Gordon assaulted two female police officers when challenged over a false name he gave after the birth of his first child, the Old Bailey has heard.
Gordon pleaded guilty to attacking the officers in the neo-natal ward of a hospital in Wales in 2017.
Judge Mark Lucraft KC, the Recorder of London, agreed that the past convictions could form part of the evidence as Marten and Gordon stand trial over the alleged manslaughter of their baby daughter Victoria in 2023, when they went on the run from authorities.
Jurors have already been told the couple’s first four children were taken from them and placed in to the care of others.
Marten and Gordon are accused of being responsible for Victoria’s death at just a few days old when trying to stop her from also being taken away.
Detective Sergeant Delma Jones told the trial she and a colleague, PC Sian Beynon, encountered Gordon in 2017, in a “strange” incident when ended with them both being assaulted.
She said police were called by medical staff over concerns about the couple’s behaviour, just after Gordon had given birth to one of her children at a hospital in Wales.
Gordon agreed to provide his name, but then wrote down a fake name, ‘James Amer’, along with the date of birth of April 31.
“I realised there are only 30 days in April, and I said to him I suggest you start telling me the truth”, said DS Jones.
“He started rocking back and forward in his chair, muttering under his breath that he was confused.
“He kept questioning why I wanted his name and date of birth.
“I explained I was going to do some checks on him. For that, I needed his full name and date of birth.
“He then shot up from his seat. My colleague and I mirrored his behaviour.
“He started pacing back and forward, clenching his fists. His behaviour completely changed. It appeared he didn’t know what to do with himself.
“I suggested he should calm down and sit back down.
“My colleague was standing in front of the door. He walked up to her, put his hands on her, and pushed her to one side.
I also took hold of Mr Gordon and was trying to restrain him.”
The officer said the three of them “grappled” in the hospital room they were in, as they attempted to calm Gordon down.
“Mr Gordon managed to open the door to free himself from our grasp”, she said. “He started to run off towards where his partner and the baby were.”
DS Jones said she went to get her radio, then turned to see Gordon “running towards us”.
“We took hold of him again. At this point I fell to the floor and my shoes came off”, she said.
“We had concerns of where we were, with babies and other people present. We were quite concerned about what he was capable of.”
She told jurors Gordon was PAVA-sprayed two or three times in the face by PC Beynon, and later had to be put in leg restraints because he kept trying to kick police officers.
“Quite frankly, this was a strange incident that I dealt with”, she said, saying of the couple: “I remember them very well”.
Earlier, the court was told that a “memorandum of conviction” has been obtained from Llanelli magistrates court, showing Gordon pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting a police officer in the course of their duty.
Gordon, who is representing himself in the trial, then had an opportunity to question DS Jones.
“My memory serves me a little bit differently”, he said, after asking if she had told the truth about the hospital incident.
“I have nothing to hide, I like the truth”, he said.
“I don’t mind them hearing the truth. The way I recall events wasn’t as you said them. You said what you said.
“I guess I have made my point. In reality, it didn’t go the way you said. That’s not an accurate recollection of the events that took place.”
He later attempted to ask the officer if all police officers tell the truth, but was blocked by the judge.
Jurors also saw Gordon object to the memorandum of conviction being entered in to evidence, when he suggested it is “hearsay” and should be excluded.
Marten, 38, and Gordon, 50, went on the run in late 2022 after baby Victoria was born, sparking a national manhunt.
Both of them gave partial evidence to the trial but withdrew before prosecutors could ask any questions.
They are jointly charged with the manslaughter of their baby daughter Victoria when they were sleeping rough in a tent on the South Downs in early 2023.
Both defendants were convicted of preventing the lawful burial of a body and perverting the course of justice at an earlier trial.
They both deny manslaughter and causing or allowing the death of a child. The trial continues.
