Details of Mark Gordon’s previous convictions for sexual offenses in Florida dating back to 1989 were presented to a jury on Thursday during his retrial at the Old Bailey in LONDON. Gordon and his partner, Constance Marten, are facing charges of manslaughter by gross negligence and causing or allowing the death of their newborn baby, Victoria. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty.

The infant’s remains were discovered in a shopping bag inside a shed located on a Brighton allotment in March 2023.

Details of prior Convictions Unveiled

“I am not aware of the circumstances of the case. I am just aware of the outcome.”

The jury was presented with a detailed account of Gordon’s criminal history in the United States.On April 29, 1989, Gordon, then 14 years old, broke into a neighbor’s home while wearing a nylon stocking over his face and armed with a knife and hedge clippers, the court was told.

He allegedly demanded the woman undress and proceeded to attempt rape,followed by oral rape and other sexual assaults. The victim was held against her will for four and a half hours.

On May 21 of the same year, Gordon broke into another residence armed with a flat-headed shovel and assaulted a male occupant, striking him in the head. He was ultimately sentenced to 40 years in prison in the U.S., serving 22 years.

During questioning of Det Sgt Ian Valentine, who testified about the convictions, Mark Gordon, representing himself, claimed he was “manipulated” during police interviews in Florida due to being a 14-year-old without adult supervision.det Sgt Valentine responded, “I am not aware of the circumstances of the case. I am just aware of the outcome.”

Private Investigators hired by Marten’s Family

The court also learned that Constance Marten’s family hired private investigators on three separate occasions to conduct surveillance on the couple. In 2016, Marten’s mother, Virginie de Selliers, employed LSG to locate her daughter, which resulted in photographs of the couple. Later, Marten’s father, Napier Marten, hired LSG to arrange a meeting in a café.

In 2021, Mrs. de Selliers hired Blackstone Consultancy to investigate the couple’s “pattern of life” in an operation called “Operation Lynx,” which lasted two months and yielded more photographs.

The retrial is scheduled to resume on Monday.