Constance Marten received nearly £48,000 from a family trust fund in the months before she went on the run with her partner and newborn baby, a court has heard.

Marten and Mark Gordon disappeared after their car burst into flames near Bolton on 5 January last year, with a placenta found in the wreckage.

They were eventually arrested on 27 February in Brighton after their case attracted significant publicity.

Days later, police found their daughter’s body in a Lidl bag in an allotment shed.

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

The couple are on trial at the Old Bailey, where they deny charges including manslaughter and causing or allowing the death of a child.

The court has heard they lived an ‘off-grid’ existence, using cash and cheap ‘burner’ phones, before being caught living rough on the South Downs.

Jurors were told on Thursday that Marten, who is from an aristocratic family, is a beneficiary of a trust fund that provides a monthly payment – while she can also request one-off amounts.

She was given a total of £47,886 between 1 September 2022 and 17 January 2023, said prosecutor Joel Smith.

The 36-year-old is said to have been transferred £15,990 in December after sending emails to trustees about buying a car, and £13,596 for camera equipment and a laptop.

Payments from the trust fund were sent by C. Hoare & Co, founded in 1672 and said to be one of the world’s oldest private banks.

Marten also successfully asked them to increase her allowance from £2,500 per month to £3,400, said financial investigator Detective Constable Steve Ferguson.

But, on 6 January, the bank emailed Marten and asked for her to call as they were “concerned for her welfare” – and sent another message days later saying they were “very concerned”, the court heard.

In early January, Marten is said to have had more than £19,000 in her Metro Bank account.

Jurors were told there were “no significant card payments made” after the couple’s car was found burnt-out and abandoned on the M61.

Read more from Sky News:
Special constable sacked over footage of Nottingham victims
Grandmother died from ‘unsurvivable’ XL bully bites

Marten previously told the trial she went on the run because she was worried about losing her baby as she’d had four other children taken into care.

The defendants deny manslaughter by gross negligence, perverting the course of justice, concealing the birth of a child, child cruelty and causing or allowing the death of a child.

The trial continues.

Related posts:

Britons urged not to ‘blow’ COVID progress as UK could see hottest March day on record Queen carries out first in-person public engagement of the year at Air Forces memorial ‘I do believe in myself’: Solskjaer insists he won’t quit after Man United thrashed by Liverpool Boy, 13, died after leaving school bus early and jumping off Tower Bridge into Thames Drinks firms warn of Christmas booze shortage due to ‘delivery chaos’ Man obsessed with COVID jailed for sending hoax bomb to vaccine factory Boy, 16, dies after falling ill at Leeds Festival – police say he may have taken ecstasy tablet Meet the grandmother tackling ‘cruel’ romance fraudsters head-on Nurse accused of murdering babies photographed card from parents of alleged victims Cost of living crisis leaves parents spending ‘less time with their children’ Girl, 2, in serious condition after being found in village pond Former doctor who was jailed for drugging partner during exorcisms ordered to pay patient he secretly recorded