Constance Marten and Mark Gordon: Inquest for baby paused

An inquest into the decease of a baby, who was astatine the centre of a nationwide missing persons search, has been paused portion constabulary proceed to investigate.

Constance Marten and Mark Gordon, the parents of two-month-old Victoria, look 5 charges implicit her death, including manslaughter by gross negligence.

Her assemblage was discovered connected 1 March successful a Brighton shed pursuing a weeks-long constabulary hunt for the family.

An inquest to find however she died was opened and adjourned connected Monday.

The proceeding was overseen by Joanne Andrews, coroner for West Sussex, Brighton and Hove.

It was told an archetypal post-mortem introspection carried retired did not find a origin of death.

Registration documentation provided by the tribunal did not database a day of commencement oregon "usual address" for the child.

The baby's assemblage was recovered wrapped successful a integrative container astatine an allotment tract successful the Hollingbury country of Brighton, adjacent to wherever Marten, 36, and Gordon, 49, were arrested.

The brace were detained and person been held successful custody since.

They were charged with manslaughter by gross negligence, concealing a child's commencement and perverting the people of justness successful the days pursuing their arrest.

It emerged during a proceeding astatine the Old Bailey connected Monday that they person besides since been charged with kid cruelty and causing oregon allowing the decease of a child.

It is claimed they caused the baby's decease by their ain "unlawful act" oregon failed to "take specified steps arsenic could reasonably person been expected" to support the baby.

The alleged offences are said to person taken spot betwixt 4 January and 27 February.

The brace were some listed arsenic not having a fixed address.

They appeared earlier Judge Mark Lucraft KC via abstracted video links from situation and spoke lone to corroborate their names during the abbreviated hearing.

A provisional proceedings day has been acceptable for 2 January adjacent year, with further administrative hearings owed to instrumentality spot this summer.