When reading this, you may think huh? at some points. I can assure you I wrote verbatim what was said!
TRANSCRIPTION OF PRESS CONFERENCE
28TH FEB.
Detective Superintendent - We'll just read out some short statements and obviously at the end we'll have to take some questions, any questions you have following the statements we're about to make. So, obviously, we're continuing the extensive searches for the missing baby of Constance Martin and Mark Gordon, after they were located in Brighton last night. The pair were arrested in Stanmer Villas at around 21:30 hrs. on Monday, 27th. February, after a member of the public saw them in the shop in Hollingbury Place. I can confirm that they were initially arrested on suspicion of child neglect. I can now confirm that they have been further arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter and that they remain in custody at police station's in Sussex. The baby was not with them and we have not found the baby, as yet.
The police helicopter, sniffer dogs, thermal imaging cameras and drones, are being used to assist officers on the ground. We currently have over 200 officers from multiple units across the Metropolitan Police and Sussex Police involved in the search. Throughout this investigation, our key priority has been finding the baby and we remain committed to that. There is a significant amount of police search activity in open spaces to the north of Brighton, near to where the couple were arrested last night. Before the arrest, the last known sighting of the couple was in Newhaven on Wednesday 8th. January. I am, therefore, appealing to members of the public, between Brighton and Newhaven, to report - they may have seen people sleeping. I also ask people living in these areas to report any suspicious behaviour. Equally, if you are out walking in these areas and you discover something you think is pertinent to the investigation, please don't hesitate to contact us, no matter how insignificant it may seem, support from the public is vital and it is the support from the public that has been key to date in this investigation.
We have received a large number of phone calls from members of the public during the investigation. I would like to thank everyone who's come forward with information and especially the person who quickly called the police last night, after spotting Constance and Mark. Our colleagues from Sussex Police were on scene within minutes to make the arrest. We are very grateful for the support that they are providing and any information that could assist, I ask you to ring 999 immediately. I now hand over to my colleague.
Chief Superintendent - We are supporting the Metropolitan Police on this extensive search. Thanks to the vigilance of a member of the public, our officers were on scene within minutes of the reported sighting and made arrests. An immediate search was launched, including the National Police Air Service Helicopter, drones, dog units and every available officer and staff member from across the force. These searches are ongoing and the public can expect to see an increased police presence in the area, as well as a dedicated response to any information from the public. We acknowledge that there may be some disruption to the people living and working in the area and we thank those people for their patience and understanding at this time. I'd like to thank the local community further, for all the help they have given us so far. We have an extensive search area and will be in this community for some time. Some people may want to know what they can do to help. We just ask you to remain vigilant and please report anything of note to us. If you have any information that will support the search, please call 101 and in an emergency please dial 999. We have dedicated call handlers available to talk with you. Thank you.
Reporter - How has it come about that you've come to the further arrest - on suspicion of gross negligent manslaughter?
Detective Superintendent - So, obviously, the arrests occurred last night, obviously, just after 9:30. We've had significant periods of time in the custody facility with both Constance and Mark. At this time, we have not furthered that information, which has now, obviously, led to the position where we feel that the risk is getting so great that we now have to consider the possibility that the baby has come to harm and that will now be subject, as part of that investigation, by the officers involved.
Reporter - Have they admitted to that?
Detective Superintendent - The investigation is ongoing, the interview process is continuing. At this time, it is purely based on the fact of part of the investigation strategy, but I will reiterate that we still remain focused on a search and an open land search to find the baby safe and well.
Reporter - Have they started co-operating at all? Earlier on they weren't even revealing the gender of the baby - Have they given any information at all about that?
Detective Superintendent - No. We've furthered no information in relation to the gender of the baby, as part of the post arrest or as part of the investigation, at the moment.
Reporter - How hopeful are you that the baby is still alive given the timeframe (
inaudible)?
Detective Superintendent - I wouldn't be drawn on a time frame, I think whilst we still have hope that the baby can be found safe and well, we must retain that hope and as you see, the number of officers we have deployed on that open search. However, as time progresses, as the weather is closing tonight, as it was last night, in terms of the cold, the coldness and the impact that would have on a baby, clearly the risk is getting higher and we have to be open to the fact that this may not end in the way we would like, but we need to remain hopeful and that is why over the late turn today into the night turn, you will still see the numbers of officers deployed, on that search, for the very reason of locating the baby.
Reporter - What do you think's brought them to Brighton? Have you any information which suggests that they've been in touch with any third party at all?
Detective Superintendent - No and at this time, obviously, I think it's key in the previous releases and discussions we've had with yourselves in the media, we've seen from the 5th. January, when this incident occurred and started in Manchester that they moved very quickly from Manchester to Liverpool to Essex throughout London, before obviously coming to Sussex. At this time, we didn't have, as part of that investigation process information that brought us to reasons of location. It will form part of the investigation now to date and will continue and that will be part of our strategy to work out why they came to Sussex and where they have been in that intervening time as well.
Reporter - Before he was arrested it appears that he was with a stick and there's been some footage shared online of the pair of them walking around. Can you confirm that? Can you help us out with that?
Detective Superintendent - We are looking into that footage, I can't confirm it right now, I hope to be able to come back later with... I've seen the footage and we are looking into that footage. They both obviously were booked into custody and as part of that process we would have and have received the appropriate medical assessments in that booking in period.
Reporter - Where do you think they were actually staying? We're they living rough? Were they in the allotments? Were they actually on the downs? Where's your focus of the search going?
Detective Superintendent - So the working hypothesis still remains that we believe them to be and have been in the open land and open areas. That is why our focus and our searches is where it is. We are (
inaudible) to the fact that our outbuildings is a vast amount of land, I'll bring my colleague in, around the geography.
Chief Superintendent - So the location, as you know, from being here today, is vast. We're looking at a sort of corridor between where they were last sighted and here, of about 7 miles by 13 mile, sort of, length in duration, so 91 sq miles worth to be searched. We just encourage the public to be vigilant, if you see anything please report it. Our dedicated officers are working their way through that and our focus really remains, at this time, while there is still some hope of finding this young baby, on doing so.
Reporter - (
I think he asks if they've said whether the baby is safe or not)
Detective Superintendent - At this time, no. We've got no further information.
Reporter - Have they given any information at all?
Detective Superintendent - Not this time, we haven't got any information from the custody process that's supporting the location or the welfare of the baby.
Reporter - Just going back to the point when they were arrested - Can you give us a bit more detail about the member of the public who reported it and how that unfolded? Were they a shop worker? Did they follow them up here a bit? How did that happen?, and also going back to that footage, it appears that Constance Martin may have been wearing a puffer jacket and a dress and Mark Gordon also in a puffer jacket and baggy trousers, again, with a walking stick - What were they wearing when they were arrested? And did he have the stick when they were arrested?
Detective Superintendent - What I can say around the arrest is that it was a diligent member of the public who observed them accessing a cash machine and then further entering the shop, and they remained vigilant, ringing 999, which alerted Sussex Police, which saw a response from the initial 999 call to the arrest of about 6 minutes. And that, obviously, was also the movement of the couple, just short of the location where we are right now.
Reporter - Just a follow on, on their condition during the arrest - Is anything in their condition suggesting that they have been living outdoors for a sustained period of time?
Detective Superintendent - Yeah, you know, I'm quite happy to confirm, from the initial assessments that we have, we've then linked into a rational and reason for the why we are doing open land searches is because, upon locating the couple and arresting the couple, there is very much significant intelligent information, as part of that arrest process, that brings us to a hypothesis that they have been spending a significant time outdoors, living in the countryside and obviously the vast land that they have here in Sussex.
Reporter - You mentioned earlier on today that there may be a possibility someone was taking care of the baby on their behalf - Is that still a possibility you are entertaining?
Detective Superintendent - We always have to keep our open mind to the investigation. It is a reason why we did offer the £10,000 reward and that £10,000 reward remains open, because what we know is that Constance and Mark did have a substantial amount of cash. Within this investigation, what we don't know is during the movements - have they come across an individual that has taken pity to the cause and through cash that's available to them, allowed them to seek refuge in either a premises or outbuildings and it's to those individuals, that we say that is where the reward sits. We have to keep open minded and it is one of the hypothesis that we are working to.
Chief Superintendent - We just want to leave you with a statement, that we thank you for your time this afternoon. We thank the public for their support on this and we want to work diligently to see whether we can still find this baby, at this time, so thank you very much everyone.
