An aristocrat accused of killing her child faces the prospect of a retrial after the jury was discharged from reaching verdicts in a 5 month case estimated to have price thousands and thousands.
Constance Marten, 37, and her lover Mark Gordon, 50, have been accused of inflicting the dying of their child Victoria after they went on the run in a bid to forestall her being taken into care.
The couple went lacking final yr when Marten gave beginning to their fifth child in secret after their earlier 4 kids had been taken into care.
Police launched a nationwide hunt for the dad and mom after discovering a placenta of their automotive, which they deserted when it burst into flames close to Bolton in Better Manchester, on January 5 final yr.
The pair travelled with their new child child throughout the nation in a sequence of taxis earlier than resorting to tenting in freezing circumstances on the South Downs the place the toddler died.
Aristocrat Constance Marten pictured in a photograph shared on her Fb profile
Marten appeared in court docket alongside her associate, Mark Gordon (pictured)
After two months on the run, Marten and Gordon have been arrested close to Brighton on February 27.
Their daughter’s physique was discovered two days later in a Lidl bag hidden inside a disused shed.
Marten and Gordon went on trial in January charged with manslaughter by gross negligence, inflicting or permitting the dying of a kid, youngster cruelty, concealing the beginning of a kid and perverting the course of justice.
The case was set to final simply six weeks however overran on account of a sequence of delays.
The jury retired to think about their verdicts again on 30 April, however their deliberations have been interrupted by numerous breaks.
After a complete of 72 hours and 33 minutes, the jury foreman instructed the Outdated Bailey that they have been unable to achieve verdicts.
Choose Mark Lucraft, KC, the Recorder of London, at present discharged the jury of 5 women and men telling them: ‘In my opinion you’ve proven actually distinctive examples of dedication to public service since January.’
He stated: ‘I shall be writing to every of you not solely to thanks on your distinctive dedication to public service and dedication.
‘I shall be excusing you from jury service for the remainder of your lives.
The CPS will resolve whether or not to hunt a retrial within the subsequent seven days.
Marten, who stood within the dock sporting a blue shirt and black trousers, confirmed no emotion because the jury have been discharged.
Gordon, who wore a blue shirt and darkish trousers, stared straight forward as jurors filed out of court docket.
A date for a listening to to find out whether or not the CPS will search a retrial has but to be set.
