Witness said baby 'was dead' in Constance Marten and Mark Gordon trial

Pauline Mason told the Old Bailey Marten was carrying the child who had “no colour”.

She said she saw the couple, who were on the run from authorities, on February 19 last year in Stanmer Park, Brighton.

Mrs Mason was out with her husband at around 3pm in the park where there had been multiple alleged sightings of the couple and their tent.

Marten and Gordon's baby Victoria was found dead in a disused shed in Brighton on March 1.

File picture of Stanmer Park near Brighton (Image: BHCC)

The court heard that Mrs Mason saw a woman walking down with a baby in her arms whose head was bobbing around. The woman's hand was cradling the baby’s head.

She said "It had no hat on, it was wearing a little white cardigan, leggings, it did not have any socks or shoes. I did not see a blanket.

"The woman who was very tired, I just put myself in her position after having a child, I felt sorry for her. 

"The next person I saw was Mark Gordon from seeing his face in the papers. He looked at me and acknowledged that I had seen the baby, he gave me a smile."

Gordon shook his head as she said this.

A court sketch of Marten and Gordon at Crawley Magistrates Court last year (Image: PA)

Mrs Mason added: "I could not stop thinking about it. I kept thinking about that baby and the colour. There was no colour in that baby, it was white, I do think that baby had died, it was dead."

Other witnesses saw a blue tent in the area and one couple believe they saw Gordon in a woodland area of the park, the court heard.

Mary Thomsen, 66, from Brighton, was going to Asda in Hollingbury on what she believed to be February 17 at around midday.

Mrs Thomsen said: "I said to my husband they must be bloody freezing or mad. No one would want to be out camping, it was so cold."

Nicholas Frost was walking his dogs with his partner at Stanmer Park near Brighton on January 16 at around 11.45am.

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In a statement read out by prosecutor Tom Little KC, he said: "We were walking along and noticed a tent in woodland. I thought this was unusual as you never see anyone camping there. It was very cold and not camping weather. It was around minus 2C. 

"The male came out from inside the tent. This startled us and the male appeared to be startled too. It was very windy and I don't think he would have heard us coming.

"As soon as he saw me he put his head down and walked away. He was carrying two bags, one of them was an orange bag for life."

Marten and Gordon are accused of gross negligence manslaughter, causing the death of a child, child cruelty, concealing the birth of a child and perverting the course of justice.

They deny all the charges.

The trial continues.