Overview

• Prosecutor Joel Smith KC said it was not in the public interest to pursue an alleged January–February 2023 notification breach, offered no evidence, and Judge Mark Lucraft formally acquitted Gordon.
• Appearing by video link from Belmarsh without a lawyer, Gordon said he was struggling to find counsel, and the judge warned sentencing would proceed even if he remains unrepresented.
• Constance Marten and Gordon were unanimously found guilty in July of manslaughter by gross negligence after a retrial, following earlier convictions for concealing a birth, child cruelty, and perverting the course of justice.
• After a seven‑week search, police arrested the couple in Brighton and later found baby Victoria’s remains in a Lidl bag in a disused shed, too decomposed to determine a cause of death.
• Prosecutors argued hypothermia or smothering, the defense said accidental overlay, and both defendants have indicated plans to appeal.