Constance Marten, who was convicted of gross negligence manslaughter, has been transferred to Send Prison in Surrey.. The move comes 13 months into her 14-year sentence after prison officials designated her as a domestic violence survivor with a hidden disability.
The transfer to Send Prison's clinic-like environment
Constance Marten has moved from HMP Bronzefield to Send Prison, a facility described by a source as feeling more like a private clinic than a standard jail. According to the report, Send Prison emphasizes a rehabilitative ethos, offering inmates access to acupuncture, therapy, and vocational courses in beauty therapy,gardening, and gym instruction.
The facility also features a Psychologically Informed Physical Environment unit, where inmates can engage in gardening to improve their peace of mind. While the source notes that Send Prison houses serious criminals and killers, it is viewed as a significantly more comfortable environment than HMP Bronzefield, which the source characterized as being like a "cattle market" in comparison.
The 2023 manhunt and the tragedy in Brighton
The transfer follows a high-profile criminal case involving Constance Marten and her partner, Mark Gordon.. In early 2023, the pair became the subject of a £1.2 million national manhunt after fleeing with their baby daughter, Victoria, to prevent her from being placed into social care. This occurred after their four other children had already been removed from their care for their own protection.
The search ended in tragedy when baby Victoria was discovered dead in a disused shed in Brighton, East Sussex. As reported by the source, the infant was found with a soiled nappy in a Lidl bag. In 2024, both Constance Marten and Mark Gordon were sentenced to 14 years for gross negligence manslaughter, though Gordon received an additional four-year extended sentence due to his classification as a dangerous offender.
Mark Gordon's Florida crimes and the Ted Bundy comparison
The disparity in the couple's backgrounds is stark, with Constance Marten raised in a stately home as the daughter of a page to Queen Elizabeth II. In contrast, Mark Gordon has a history of violent crime dating back to 1989 in Florida, where he committed a series of brutal attacks. gordon raped a woman at knifepoint and later assaulted a man with a shovel during a second break-in.
Franklin Nooe, a treatment director at a sex assault clinic, compared Mark Gordon to serial killers such as Ted Bundy and Christopher Wilder, placing him in a small percentage of offenders who are fueled by the act of rape. Gordon was originally sentenced to 40 years in the U.S., serving half of that term before being deported to the UK. He is currently incarcerated at HMP Belmarsh in London, and reports indicate that Constance Marten is prohibited from contacting him.
Whether Constance Marten is 'playing the system' at Send Prison
The decision to move Constance Marten to a softer facility has created a divide among prison staff. While some believe that Marten requires specialized therapy and attention due to her troubled history, other staff members suspect she may be "playing the system" to secure more lenient conditions. This tension exists alongside the fact that Marten was granted permission to appeal her sentence in August 2024.
It remains unclear exactly what "hidden disability" was cited to justify the transfer, and the source does not provide the specific medical or psychological criteria used by prison bosses to categorize her as a victim of domestic violence.. Furthermore, the report does not include a response from the Ministry of Justice regarding the specific protocols for transferring high-profile manslaughter convicts to rehabilitative units.
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