Category: News

A wealthy aristocrat and her partner who “recklessly” went on the run to stop their baby being taken into care took the newborn off-grid in winter despite an “obvious” risk of hypothermia, their retrial has heard.

A jury at the Old Bailey heard Constance Marten, 37, and Mark Gordon, 50, deprived their baby daughter of “warmth, shelter protection, food and ultimately one word – safety” during her short life, before leaving her body in a bag-for-life to decompose.

The parents deny gross negligence manslaughter and causing or allowing the death of the infant, whose birth they concealed after their four other children were removed from their care.

The court heard Ms Marten gave birth in secret at a holiday cottage in Northumberland and travelled the country by taxi, moving from location to location amid a high-profile manhunt for the missing parents, before settling off-grid in the South Downs in January 2023.

Opening the prosecution’s case at a retrial on Monday, Tom Little KC claimed the parents at times used a red Lidl bag-for-life to carry the newborn as they fled the authorities.

“It would have been plain to the defendants, you must have thought, that this was an utterly inappropriate way to care for any child, let alone their child,” adding the infant, named on the indictment as Baby A, only had a baby grow and no hat in the wintry conditions.

By the time they settled in the South Downs on 8 January 2023 in a “thin and flimsy” tent they were “sopping wet”, he said.

Mr Little told the jury: “They decided to and then started camping in relatively cold and obviously dangerous conditions on the South Downs with (as I have said) totally insufficient and inadequate clothing and equipment for the baby and never once seeking any help or assistance.

“The weather got colder after a few days but even at the outset the risk of hypothermia was obvious. The need to try to keep warm in wet and damp and cold conditions in a small, thin and flimsy tent also created obvious suffocation risks both with items and with themselves. So too, as I have said, the risk and reality of hypothermia.

“It was this grossly negligent and obviously dangerous conduct that caused the death of their baby daughter.”

He explained to the jury that Ms Marten has a trust fund, having grown up in a very wealthy family.

“She had potential access to really as much money as she would have wanted if she had chosen to do the right thing,” the prosecutor added. “Not taken bad decision after bad decision.”

He alleged that even after the baby girl died, the parents left her remains in a rubbish-filled carrier bag and remained on the run.

“After the baby had died the defendants didn’t hand themselves in immediately or seek any medical assistance immediately, as you might have expected, if this was some form of accident,” he said.

“What did they do instead? They remained off-grid trying to hide for a number of weeks…leaving the body of their dead baby in a shopping bag covered in rubbish whilst that baby decomposed.”

He claimed the parents decided “that they knew best, they knew better than anyone else” and “put their relationship and their views of life before the life of that little baby girl”.

Ms Marten and Mr Gordon both deny charges of gross negligence manslaughter of Baby A and causing or allowing the infant’s death.

Last year, they were convicted of concealing the birth of the child and perverting the course of justice in a previous trial.

The mother appeared in the dock wearing a white top, black jacket and blue scarf for the retrial on Monday. Jurors were told Gordon, who was not in court, might join the proceedings later by video link.

The retrial continues.

The son of the late TV doctor Michael Mosley is publishing a new guide to using weight-loss drugs as he honours his father’s memory.

Mosley, known for fronting BBC and Channel 4 documentaries on health and diet, popularised the 5:2 diet, a form of intermittent fasting, through his book The Fast Diet.

He died aged 67 while on holiday on the Greek island of Symi last year, after going for a walk on the island in sweltering conditions.

Dr Jack Mosley, a GP registrar, who researched GLP-1 drug brands including Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound with his father, has written the book Food Noise: How Weight Loss Medication And Smart Nutrition Can Silence Your Cravings.

His mother, Dr Clare Bailey Mosley, is also bringing out a cookbook titled Eating Together: A Recipe For Parenting.

Dr Mosley said: “My father, Michael, believed in empowering people with knowledge so they could take control of their own health.

“My hope is that this book might do exactly that: equip as many people as possible with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions around weight-loss drugs and to show that changes to your lifestyle and improving your diet is essential to keep healthy while you are taking the medicine.”

He believes the weight-loss drugs are a “game changer”, but thinks they need to be used safely so people do not become malnourished as a consequence of suppressed eating.

In Food Noise, he explains the science behind the diabetes and weight-loss drugs and suggests what to eat while using them, to maintain good nutrition and retain muscle mass, along with what to do to keep the weight off using recipes and meal plans after stopping the medication.

Semaglutide, commonly known by the brand names Wegovy or Ozempic, and tirzepatides such as Mounjaro and Zepbound, have been increasingly used outside of diabetes for weight loss.

Wegovy and Mountjaro can be bought from online pharmacies without needing to visit a GP in the UK, and Ozempic has been “prescribed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes to protect supply for diabetes patients” under guidelines.

Concerns about the misprescribing and potential supply shortages of these drugs has led to the General Pharmaceutical Council tightening the criteria under which they can be given to patients by online pharmacies.

Dr Bailey Mosley, also a GP, has written recipe books including The Fast 800 Recipe Book, The 8-Week Blood Sugar Diet Recipe Book, The Fast 800 Easy, The Fast 800 Keto Recipe Book and The Fast 800 Treats to accompany Mosley’s work.

She said: “As a family, we have been truly humbled by the countless stories we’ve heard from people who tell us Michael made a meaningful difference to their lives.

“I am thrilled that Octopus is supporting Jack and me in continuing what we regard as a family mission: arming as many people as possible with the information they need to live healthier and happier lives.”

In December, a coroner recorded an open conclusion into Mosley’s death, and concluded that the “most likely” cause was either “heatstroke (accidental) or a non-identified pathological cause”.

There was a search for Mosley, after the doctor-turned-science broadcaster was originally reported missing in June, while on holiday with his wife, before his body was found days later.

In July, the BBC honoured the presenter with a day dedicated to him, with presenters and audiences encouraged to do “just one thing” to improve their well-being.

He had presented BBC Radio 4’s Just One Thing, and the BBC series Trust Me, I’m A Doctor, which looked at healthcare in Britain.

Short Books, part of Octopus Publishing, will put out Food Noise by Dr Mosley on April 24, while Eating Together by Dr Bailey Mosley comes out on September 11.

A man has been handed a life sentence for the murder of Lisa Thompson in Dublin.

Brian McHugh, of Cairn Court, Ballymun, strangled the mother-of-two with the cord from a blind and stabbed her in the chest eleven times.

Lisa Thompson’s body was found in her home by a concerned neighbour the day after Brian McHugh killed her in May 2022.

She and McHugh knew each other and during his trial, the jury heard they had what was described as, “a bit of a fling,” the year before.

His DNA was found on the cord of a blind that he used to strangle her with; and he was also identified as a suspect from CCTV footage.

Through a victim impact statement, read out by her sister, Ashley; Ms Thompson’s children said they were glad they got justice for their mother’s murder.

They said she was killed by someone they thought they could trust; someone who played with them in their home – the home where McHugh brutally killed her.

They said he left her there to die and stole from her afterwards.

Brian McHugh was then handed the mandatory life sentence for murder.

Lisa Thompson. Image: Supplied

Iconic Chain Brings Back Beloved Burger with Value Offer

LOS ANGELES, March 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fatburger, the all-American burger chain owned by FAT Brands Inc., announces the bold comeback of the fan-favorite Baby Fat for only $5.99. The Baby Fat is packed with the same unbeatable flavor that Fatburger fans know and love. Available for a limited-time only, the Baby Fat is available at the $5.99 value price point starting today through June 30 via www.fatburger.com with code BABYFAT5 or in-store at participating locations.

“Our fans have been asking, and we have heard them—the Baby Fat is back,” said Jenn Johnston, Chief Marketing Officer at FAT Brands. “This limited-time value burger offering is sure to hit the spot for both long-time fans and new guests, pairing perfectly with Fat or Skinny Fries, a hand-scooped milkshake or an ice-cold PEPSI^®.”

Ever since the first Fatburger opened in Los Angeles over 70 years ago, the chain has been known for its delicious, grilled-to-perfection and cooked to order burgers. Founder Lovie Yancey believed that a big burger with everything on it is a meal in itself. At Fatburger, “everything” is not just the usual lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, mustard, pickles and relish. Burgers can be customized with toppings including bacon, eggs, chili and onion rings. In addition to its famous burgers, the Fatburger menu also includes Fat and Skinny Fries, sweet potato fries, scratch-made onion rings, turkeyburgers, hand-breaded crispy chicken sandwiches, and hand-scooped milkshakes made from 100% real ice cream.

For more information or to find a Fatburger near you, please visit www.fatburger.com.

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The maternal grandfather of the siblings alleged that their father killed the children as he apprehended them to be obstacles in his remarriage plan

Bhubaneswar: Two minor siblings were found dead under mysterious circumstances in their house in a village in Nayagarh district of Odisha on Monday morning, police said, adding that the father of the two boys was detained following allegations against him of having a role in their unnatural deaths.

The victims, a 14-year-old boy and his 12-year-old brother, were found dead after police broke open the locked door of their house.

The paternal grandfather of the victims said the siblings likely died by suicide after their widowed father on Sunday received a proposal to remarry. Their mother had passed away three years ago.

However, the maternal grandfather of the siblings alleged that their father killed them and then hung their bodies from ceiling as he apprehended them to be obstacles in his remarriage plan.

“We would get a clear answer only after post-mortem reports are received,” said Nayagarh superintendent of police (SP), S Sushree. Police will seek the assistance of a scientific team to investigate the matter, the SP added.

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Imagine your elderly mother has just been given a terminal diagnosis. Before she—or you—has had the chance to come to terms with the news, or to consider what treatment options are available, her doctor suggests that she might consider ending her life, and indeed offers to help.

Your mother, frightened, confused, and aware that she is about to become a burden on her family and the NHS, decides that death really is the best option. Within a few weeks, your beloved mum is given a cocktail of lethal drugs, and dies.

Labour MP Kim Leadbeater has claimed that most Britons want to allow assisted dying.PA

Disability Campaigner George Fielding tore apart the Assisted Dying Bill on GB News

PA / GB News

The committee discussed the inherent danger of allowing doctors to raise the topic of assisted suicide with patients, which could create a power imbalance and unduly influence vulnerable individuals.

Critics like Juliet Campbell MP and Danny Kruger MP argued that doctors should not be permitted to suggest assisted suicide unprompted, as it could undermine a patient’s autonomy and influence their decision.

They also questioned the appropriateness of introducing assisted suicide as a medical option at all, with Kruger suggesting that if it is not a “healthcare” treatment, doctors should have no business in promoting it.

Yet the Bill’s supporters on the committee rejected amendments that would have prevented doctors from suggesting suicide to vulnerable patients.

An important concern with the current legislation is that patients who are in shock having just received a terminal diagnosis will be able to request assisted suicide and end their lives rapidly.

In the UK, a ‘cooling off period’ is mandatory even for the purchase of car insurance; yet under the legislation before Parliament, MPs voted down an amendment requiring a period of 28 days after a terminal diagnosis before a “preliminary discussion” about assisted suicide can take place.

Again and again, MPs who support assisted suicide rejected important attempts to protect the vulnerable.

In defending this stance, Government Minister Stephen Kinnock—who claims to be ‘neutral’ on the issue—used the extraordinary argument that the Bill needed to be kept ‘simple’, emphasising operational concerns over complexity and ethical safeguards.

Government ministers don’t usually object to legislative ‘complexity’ even in relatively trivial areas of statute such as tax law, so to play fast and loose with the lives of the vulnerable for ‘operational reasons’ is frankly outrageous.

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POLL OF THE DAY: Should assisted dying be legalised? YOUR VERDICTGB News

In sum, over 100 amendments designed to strengthen safeguards for vulnerable people have now been rejected by the committee.

As a result, the Bill fails adequately to protect British citizens from the danger of being coerced into ending their lives, or from making a decision to die at a moment of acute distress when they might later change their mind if they were allowed to live.

There is currently no requirement for relatives to be informed, or even for patients to be in pain in order to be ‘accepted’ for death.

At the end of the committee stage, all MPs will have a second chance to vote on the legislation at the Bill’s third reading.

Those who voted in favour at second reading on the condition that the Bill was made safer now have an important decision to make.

No reasonable, truthful person can argue that the Bill has been improved. In fact, its flaws have been brutally exposed in Committee Stage, its proponents have implied that they are already considering expanding eligibility, and the one important safeguard included in the original text—the involvement of a High Court Judge—has been abandoned.

Any MP who now votes for the Bill does so in the full knowledge that vulnerable people will die, frightened people will be coerced, suicide rates—both assisted and otherwise—will likely increase, doctor-patient trust will be permanently undermined and, for the first time since capital punishment was abolished in 1969, the State will have the power to end citizens’ lives.

In every single international jurisdiction where assisted suicide has been introduced, its scope and impact has expanded, usually rapidly.

In Canada, assisted suicide is now responsible for 5% of all deaths. In the Netherlands, euthanasia is now available to people with treatable mental health conditions and even to children. Should the Leadbeater Bill pass, it is frankly unthinkable that the UK won’t follow the same path.

An MP’s first duty is not to their Party, their social media followers or even their constituents. Their first duty is to the nation, to act and vote in a way that promotes the common good of our country and safeguards our fundamental values—such as the value of every individual life—for future generations.

For MPs who have previously expressed support for the assisted suicide bill, there will be a personal cost for changing their mind publicly.

But the rewards of courage are eternal; if ever there is a time for MPs to follow their consciences, it is now.