✕CloseConstance Marten: Father of runaway aristocrat makes emotional plea to missing daughter
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails
Sign up to our free breaking news emails
The partner of missing aristocrat Constance Marten raped one of his neighbours armed with a pair of garden shears during a hostage situation when he was a teenager.
Mark Gordon, who is on the run in the UK with Ms Marten and their newborn baby, carried out the attack in Florida in 1989, aged 14, and was later jailed for 20 years.
The 48-year-old was born in Birmingham, West Midlands, but he, his mother and his half-siblings moved to the US when he was still a child in 1989.
He committed the offence in April of that year. Gordon armed himself with garden shears and a kitchen knife, then attacked his neighbour in a four-and-a-half-hour ordeal which saw him take her hostage and sexually assault her, the Daily Mail reports.
Two young children were sleeping in the room next door at the time of the attack, the paper said.
Recommended
- Constance Marten: The runaway heiress, her convicted rapist partner and the painful rift at the heart of British aristocracy
- Who are Constance Marten and Mark Gordon: Everything we know about couple missing with newborn
- Who is Napier Marten? Father who made emotional appeal for daughter missing with baby
Show latest update
Gordon was armed with garden shears when carried out rape – report
The boyfriend of missing aristocrat Constance Marten raped one of his neighbours armed with a pair of garden shears during a hostage situation when he was a teenager.
Mark Gordon, who is on the run in the UK with Ms Marten and their newborn baby, carried out the attack in Florida in 1989, aged 14, and was later jailed for 20 years.
The 48-year-old was born in Birmingham, West Midlands, but he, his mother and his half-siblings moved to the US when he was still a child in 1989.
He committed the offence in April of that year. Gordon armed himself with garden shears and a kitchen knife, then attacked his neighbour in a four-and-a-half-hour ordeal which saw him take her hostage and sexually assault her, the Daily Mail reports.
Two young children were sleeping in the room next door at the time of the attack, the paper said.
Matt Mathers20 January 2023 08:111674232227
Timeline of missing aristocrat daughter’s movements as family with newborn travel 200 miles in a day
n aristocrat’s daughter, her sex offender partner and their newborn baby are still missing, two weeks after they disappeared.
Constance Marten, 35, and Mark Gordon, 48, were travelling on the M61 when their car broke down near Bolton on 5 January.
A missing persons investigation was launched by Greater Manchester Police, who established that the family left the vehicle and the motorway safely – walking to the Anchor Lane bridge which links the Highfield and Little Hulton areas.
My colleague Thomas Kingsley reports:
Timeline of missing aristocrat daughter’s movements as family travel 200 miles in day
Constance Marten and Mark Gordon have been missing for two weeks with no medical intervention for their newborn
Matt Mathers20 January 2023 16:301674225469
Here’s how Constance Marten and Mark Gordon are evading detection
I have spent decades tracking down wanted people – even those who had evaded the police for years, writes investigative reporter Mark Williams-Thomas.
Read his full article here:
Opinion: Here’s how Constance Marten and Mark Gordon are evading detection
I have spent decades tracking down wanted people – even those who had evaded the police for years
Matt Mathers20 January 2023 14:371674225027
ICYMI: Constance Marten – the ‘It’ girls aristocrat links
Andy Gregory walks through the roots of Constance Marten, the aristocrat’s daughter missing with her child:
Constance Marten, 35, is the granddaughter of Mary Anna Marten, a British Museum trustee whose godmother was the late Queen Mother, and who used to own the Crichel estate in Dorset.
Her grandparents were Toby Marten, a Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Navy, and his wife Mary Anna, who had close links to the royal family, attending the Brownies pack at Buckingham Palace alongside Princess Margaret in her youth.
A notable archaeologist, Ms Marten was awarded an OBE in 1980 and appointed High Sheriff of Dorset nine years later. She was also made a trustee of the British Museum and travelled widely in aid of her profession, making frequent trips to Iran and 30 visits to Russia.
The late couple and their family lived at the vast Crichel House – used as the backdrop for several period dramas, including Emma starring Gwyneth Paltrow – the ownership of which in the wake of the Second World War became the centre of a notorious political scandal.
They were survived by five daughters and one son, Napier Marten, who was a Page to Queen Elizabeth II. In 1996 he took a voyage of spiritual discovery in Australia, later returning to work as a tree surgeon near Crichel House.
Matt Mathers20 January 2023 14:301674223467
ICYMI: Gordon broke into victim’s house through her bathroom window
Mark Gordon broke into his victim’s house through her bathroom window, it has emerged.
He then found a pair of her stockings and used them as a face mask before carrying out his attack.
Once he encountered the woman he ordered her into the bedroom while still armed.
He then ordered her to undress before sexually assaulting and raping her, the Daily Mail reports.
Matt Mathers20 January 2023 14:041674221093
ICYMI: Friend of Constance Marten ‘warned’ her about falling in love with dangerous men
A friend of Constance Marten has claimed she previously warned the missing mother about the type of men she “falls in love with” but that she “doesn’t listen to anyone”.
Noisette Tahoun, who worked at the same film production company as Ms Marten in Cairo, Egypt, in 2010, said she was “not shocked” when she found out that the 35-year-old had been reported missing.
Speaking to The Independent, Ms Tahoun said she had told the heiress to “take care of the people she gets close to”.
My colleague Thomas Kinglsey reports:
Friend of Constance Marten ‘warned’ her about falling in love with dangerous men
The former colleague claimed Ms Marten would fall in love with men and not listen to warnings
Matt Mathers20 January 2023 13:241674219486
Who is Napier Marten? Father who made emotional appeal for daughter missing with baby
The aristocratic Marten family has dominated headlines in recent weeks after 35-year-old Constance Marten, her newborn baby and partner, a convicted rapist, became the subject of a “high risk” missing person investigation.
Napier Marten urged his daughter Constance to take herself and the child to safety as soon as possible.
But who is Napier? My colleague Thomas Kinglsey reports:
Who is Napier Marten? Father who made emotional appeal for daughter missing with baby
Napier Marten sent a heartfelt plea to his daughter to hand herself in
Matt Mathers20 January 2023 12:581674217574
Listen: Come home darling, father urges Constance Marten
The estranged father of Constance Marten has made an emotional plea to his daughter, asking her to return home.
Napier Marten urged the runaway aristocrat – who has been missing with partner Mark Gordon and their newborn since 5 January – to turn herself into the police so she and her baby “can be protected”.
“I also wish you to understand you are much, much loved, whatever the circumstances,” Mr Marten said.
“To see you so vulnerable again is testing in the extreme.”
You can listen to the full audio here:
Listen: Father of runaway aristocrat makes emotional plea to missing daughter
The estranged father of Constance Marten has made an emotional plea to his daughter, asking her to return home. Napier Marten urged the runaway aristocrat – who has been missing with partner Mark Gordon and their newborn since 5 January – to turn herself into the police so she and her baby “can be protected”. “I also wish you to understand you are much, much loved, whatever the circumstances,” Mr Marten said. “To see you so vulnerable again is testing in the extreme.” Click here to sign up for our newsletters.
Matt Mathers20 January 2023 12:261674214849
Constance Marten: The runaway heiress, her convicted rapist partner and the painful rift at the heart of British aristocracy
Her upbringing had all the trappings of high society, so how did Constance Marten come to be on the run for weeks on end with a sex offender 13 years her senior?Tom Oughreports
The runaway heiress, her rapist partner and the aristocratic family rift
Her upbringing had all the trappings of high society, so how did Constance Marten come to be on the run for weeks on end with a sex offender 13 years her senior? Tom Ough reports
Matt Mathers20 January 2023 11:401674211504
Aristocrat’s boyfriend convicted of six charges
After carrying out his attack in Flordia, Mark Gordon was found guilty of six charges in total.
They include one count of armed kidnapping, four separate counts of armed sexual battery and one count of burglary with a deadly weapon.
He was convicted on all charges.
Matt Mathers20 January 2023 10:45
NewerOlder
✕
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
SubscribeAlready subscribed? Log in
Popular videos
{{/link}}