A court has been informed that a wealthy fugitive noble received about £50,000 from her trust fund at the time she vanished with her significant other and their infant child.
Between September 1, 2022 and January 17, 2023, C. Hoare & Co bankers gave Constance Marten a total of £47,886. In order to locate them, the police made an appeal on January 6 of the previous year.
Marten and Mark Gordon fled with their daughter, Victoria, after their car caught fire near Bolton, Greater Manchester, in January of last year. The Old Bailey was informed that they resorted to camping in order to keep custody of their baby, as Marten’s four other children had been placed in foster care.
The couple, who were apprehended in Brighton, East Sussex, initially declined to disclose the whereabouts of their child or her condition.
Victoria’s body was discovered on March 1st, inside a Lidl bag in an abandoned shed located in an allotment.
On Thursday, the jury was informed by DC Steve Ferguson, a financial investigator from the police, that Marten received a monthly allowance of £2,500 from a family trust starting in September 2022. It was also revealed that Marten could request to receive some of the money earlier and have it deducted from the next payment.
In November, a total of £1,200 was transferred for the purpose of storing Marten’s belongings. In December, there were multiple emails regarding the acquisition of a car before a transfer of £15,590 was made. Additionally, £13,596 was sent for the purchase of camera and filming equipment, along with a laptop.
The monthly allowance was then increased to £3,400, and C. Hoare & Co began sending emails to reach Marten around the same time that the police appeal was launched.
On 6 January 2023, the bank sent Marten an email asking her to call. Three days later, they emailed again saying they were “concerned for her welfare”. Then, on 12 January, they contacted her again to say they were “very concerned” and asked her to urgently get in touch.
According to the prosecutor, Joel Smith, a sum of £47,886 was transferred during this period. Once the couple’s car was discovered burned on January 5th, there were no significant payments made with their cards, as reported by the court. As of early January 2023, Marten’s balance at Metro Bank was £19,083.18.
Marten and Gordon, who do not have a permanent residence, plead not guilty to charges of manslaughter, obstructing justice, hiding the birth of a child, child abuse, and being responsible for the death of a child. The trial at Old Bailey is ongoing.
Source: theguardian.com
