The jury has been sent out in the Constance Marten and Mark Gordon trial.

Marten, 36, and partner Gordon, 49, are accused of the manslaughter of their daughter Victoria who died after they went off-grid on the South Downs.

Over the course of several weeks, The Old Bailey has heard how the couple had fled authorities in January last year in an attempt to keep their newborn child after four other children were taken into care.

They travelled by taxi all the way to the south coast after their car burst into flames near Bolton, Greater Manchester, last January 5.

Read more: Fugitive mother Constance Marten ‘no monster’, barrister tells court

They were arrested in Brighton last February 27, two days before Victoria’s decomposed body was found inside a Lidl bag in a disused allotment shed.

The cause of the child’s death could not be established.

Marten has claimed her daughter died by accident when she fell asleep holding her under her jacket the day after pitching a tent.

The prosecution suggested Victoria was exposed to cold wintry conditions with inadequate clothes for longer or was 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 after the death of their daughter Victoria.

At 4.01pm on Tuesday, Judge Mark Lucraft KC sent the 11-strong jury out to begin deliberating on verdicts.

After just over half an hour, jurors came back into court and were told by Judge Lucraft to “press the pause button” on their discussions.

The jury will resume deliberations at 10am on Wednesday.