The father of missing Constance Marten - who disappeared 12 days ago with her partner and their newborn child after abandoning their car on the M61 motorway near Bolton - has pleaded with her to hand herself in to police.
Napier Marten, a film and music producer, spoke out after it was revealed Ms Marten's partner, Mark Gordon, who she is on the run with, is a convicted sex offender who served 20 years in a US jail for rape and battery. Mr Gordon's conviction relates to a Florida attack on a woman in her early 20s when he was just 14.
Police have stressed, meanwhile, that their priority is to ensure the baby, a boy, and the couple are safe and well. It's believed Ms Marten, and the child, have received no medical attention since he was born.
Her estranged father Mr Marten, reports The Independent, said in his appeal: "I am grateful for this opportunity to appeal directly to my daughter Constance following the public revelations concerning her partner, Mark Gordon, and having lived with the family in great concern knowing of his past record for some time.
"Darling Constance, even though we remain estranged at the moment, I stand by as I have always done and as the family has always done to do whatever is necessary for your safe return to us.
"I beseech you to find a way to turn yourself and your wee one in to the police as soon as possible so you and he or she can be protected. Only then can a process of healing and recovery begin however long it may take, however difficult it maybe.
"I would like you to understand that the family will do all that is needed for your wellbeing and I also wish you to understand you are much, much loved whatever the circumstances. We are deeply concerned for your and your baby's welfare.
"The past eight years have been beyond painful for all the family as well as your friends as they must have been for you. To see you so vulnerable again is testing to the extreme."
Mr Marten, reportedly a former Page to the late Queen Elizabeth, thanked police for 'all their endeavours in bringing this tragic episode to a swift and safe conclusion'.
In a direct appeal to his daughter, he added: "Please Constance, find the courage to present yourself to the police as soon as possible."
The couple and their baby have no luggage with them after most of their belongings were destroyed in a car fire, said police, and are using cash to pay for taxis and places to stay.
Ms Marten comes from a wealthy aristocratic family. The couple are understood to have lived an isolated life since meeting in 2016, with then-drama student Ms Marten cutting off ties with family and friends. She grew up in Crichel House, a Dorset estate, as part of an eminent family who had links to the Royals.
According to the Sunday Times, her grandmother was a playmate of Princess Margaret. The newspaper reported that the family put the Dorset estate on the market in 2010 for £100million, before its sale to an American buyer.
Last September, Ms Marten and Mr Gordon began moving around the country, renting AirBnBs for brief periods. On January 5, they were on the M61 when their car broke down and caught fire near junction four at Farnworth, Bolton.
The couple then walked to Anchor Lane Bridge, where they got a taxi to Liverpool before getting another to Harwich, Essex. They were seen around Colchester on Friday January 6 and Saturday 7, when they took another taxi to East Ham Station in Newham, London, and were last seen.
Each time Ms Marten and Mr Gordon are seen on CCTV, they are covering their faces or looking away, and have kept the baby covered up. Investigators say the couple appear to know how to evade authorities – making the search for them harder.
Police believe they could be anywhere in the UK.
Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford said: "This is a complex investigation with officers from across the Met continuing to work around the clock to find Constance, Mark and their baby.
"There is nothing to suggest that any of them have come to any sort of intentional harm – we just need to ensure they are okay, especially the baby, and do not require any medical assistance for any underlying issues. The last confirmed sighting of them was more than a week ago in East Ham – they could now be anywhere in the UK, which is why it is vital that members of the public continue to contact us with any suspected sightings.
"The assistance you’ve provided so far has been invaluable. Please don’t forget about Constance, Mark and the baby – if you see them or think you have seen them then please contact us as a matter of urgency."
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