The cause of death of Constance Marten’s baby could not be ascertained due to the condition of her body, a court heard.

Marten, 36, and her partner Mark Gordon, 49, are accused of the death of their baby Victoria while they were on the run from authorities last year.

The Old Bailey trial has heard how they lived in a tent off-grid on the South Downs in a bid to keep Victoria, after their four other children were taken into care.

Days after they were arrested last February, Victoria was found dead inside a Lidl bag for life in an allotment shed in Brighton.

Jurors heard yesterday that Victoria’s death was “unascertained” due to the condition of her body.

Previously, the court heard rubbish, cans, bottles, leaves were found on top of Victoria’s body in the shopping bag and that the couple had been “dragging” the bag.

The court also heard that the couple’s other children were put up for adoption following concerns about domestic abuse.

An interim care order was made for the couple’s first child, referred to as Child FF, who was placed in temporary mother and baby placements with Marten.

The couple went on to have three more children and “interacted well” with them during supervised contact sessions.

Read more: Constance Marten put on 'fake Irish accent' to evade social services with other child

But their attendance was “inconsistent”, leaving the children distressed and unsettled, the court heard.

One of the children became quiet and withdrawn, telling staff: “Mummy and daddy cancelled again.”

The child was described as “inconsolable” when the parents failed to turn up at the contact centre.

Jurors heard of an incident of domestic violence in 2019 and a judge found a “risk of harm to the children by being exposed to physical violence between the parents”.

Read more: 'Runaway mum tried to resuscitate baby and cradled her for hours after she died'

All four children were made subject to care and placement orders in January 2022.

The court also heard from paediatrician Dr Gaurav Atreja who said keeping a newborn baby in a tent in temperatures of between 5 to 10 degrees Celsius “can be fatal”.

Prosecutor Tom Little KC asked what the risks were to a baby placed inside a jacket with the parent sitting down.

Marten told police that Victoria had died after she fell asleep in a tent in Sussex while holding her under her jacket.

Dr Atreja said: “If mother goes to sleep she can bend over the baby and the baby can be smothered.”

The defendants, of no fixed address, 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.