Constance Marten defended her decision to live in a tent with her newborn baby, who later died, telling her trial: “Jesus survived in the barn.”

Martin, 36, explained why she fled with her partner Mark Gordon, 49, and daughter Victoria.

Victoria’s body was found in a Lidl bag in a rationing shed after the pair were arrested in Brighton last February.

She told jurors at the Old Bailey that Bedouin families walked through the freezing desert with their children.

“People all over the world live in conditions like this… as long as your child is well cared for and loved,” she said.

Asked whether she agreed with medical advice against exposing newborns to the cold for long periods of time, she added: “I don’t agree because some babies stay out for hours.

“People live in countries without central heating.”

When prosecutors accused her of being “extremely ill-prepared” to care for Victoria, she said: “It was just a pit stop.

“We’re not looking at being there for a few months. It’s more about immediacy than long-term planning.”

She previously told the court the couple moved frequently to evade authorities as her four other children were taken into care.

She said her two other children were spat on and physically abused in care.

“A mother’s love for her child is very strong,” she told the jury.

“It was impossible for me to be separated from my children. We hid it from the entire British public because I feared Victoria would be taken away.”

“Very outdoorsy”

When asked if she was uncomfortable in a tent, she responded: “I love the outdoors, but I’d rather be in bed.”

She continued: “We didn’t want to live in a tent. We were acting on instinct. She was our priority. We were living in a tent for Victoria.”

Martin was later questioned about the discovery of her child’s body inside a tote bag.

She insisted she had not “abandoned” Victoria.

“I know it’s horrible. The only thing I can say is if someone dies, the immediate reaction is panic,” Marten told the court.

“Mark and I were not in a good place. We were in fear and grief. She was not abandoned anywhere. She was always with us.”

CCTV footage was shown to the jury of Marten holding her daughter while wearing a zip-up jacket in east London on January 7, 2023.

She admitted that sometimes Victoria’s head seemed unsupported.

But Martin said: “She’s fine. If she wasn’t, she would howl. I have faith in my kids. As long as it’s safe. People always have their kids in their arms.”

Martin and Gordon had to abandon their belongings when their car caught fire near Bolton, Greater Manchester, on January 5 last year.

They were arrested in Brighton on February 27 and refused to answer police questions about their child and whether she was alive or dead.

Victoria was found dead on March 1, 2023.

The defendant, of no fixed address, denies gross negligence, perverting the course of justice, concealing the birth of a child, child abuse and manslaughter of causing or allowing the death of a child.

The trial continues.