Mark Gordon Previously Convicted of Rape in US, Old Bailey Retrial Told

Mark Gordon, currently on trial in the UK for the manslaughter of his newborn daughter, was previously convicted of serious sexual offences in the United States in 1989, a London court has heard. Gordon, now representing himself in the trial at the Old Bailey, was convicted of a series of sexual assaults, including rape, committed when he was 14 years old. The details of these convictions were read to the jury during the retrial of separate charges.

In the UK case, Gordon and his partner, Constance Marten, face charges related to the death of their newborn daughter, Victoria. The infant’s decomposed body was discovered in a shopping bag in a shed in Brighton in March 2023. Both Gordon and Marten deny the charges of manslaughter by gross negligence and causing or allowing the death of a child.

The jury was informed of Gordon’s prior offences in the United States, including incidents where he broke into homes and committed violent sexual assaults. In one case, he held a woman captive for over four hours. Gordon served 22 years of a 40-year sentence in the US before being released.

During the trial, Gordon suggested that he had been “manipulated” during his police interviews in Florida, arguing that he was a 14-year-old child without adult supervision at the time of the offences. The trial continues, with further proceedings scheduled for Monday.