Missing aristocratic mother gave birth in car before it burst into flames

The mother from an aristocratic family who disappeared with her abusive boyfriend gave birth in the back seat of her car, it has been revealed.

Constance Marten, 35, and Mark Gordon, 48, disappeared two weeks ago after apparently hiding their pregnancy for five months.

Last week, British citizen Gordon was revealed to be a rapist and was deported after serving his sentence for raping and beating a woman in his 20s in Florida when he was 14.

He and Constance Marten, 35, have been “off the grid” with their child since their car broke down and caught fire on the M61 in Bolton earlier this month.

She has access to a multi-million pound trust fund and police say they appear to be carrying plenty of cash, allowing her to avoid digital payments which could be traced.

Police sources told The Telegraph that ambulance workers called to the car, which discovered a placenta in the back seat.

Greater Manchester Police were called at 6.33pm by motorists who reported seeing the car exiting on the shoulder.

When rescuers arrived, they found the front engine on fire but inspected the front and rear of the vehicle to make sure no one was inside.

The source said crews then spotted placenta and other signs of labor in the back seat. It is believed that the baby was born in the car a day or two before.

The car was bought for cash shortly before it was found. Detectives don’t believe the couple set fire to the car, instead it burst into flames after suffering a mechanical failure.

Ms Marten and Gordon are understood to have lost many of their belongings, which they had packed for their trip in the fire.

The discovery of the placenta means they went to great lengths to conceal the birth and avoid the necessary medical attention, a move that could have revealed their whereabouts.

Gordon, who moved to America with his family in 1989, was jailed for 20 years before being deported back to the UK in 2010, where he should have registered as a sex offender.

Court records also indicate he was on the run for six weeks prior to his arrest.

Earlier this week, the Metropolitan Police, who are now investigating, called on the public to report any sightings of the couple amid growing concerns for the well-being of the mother and baby.

Investigators are particularly interested in speaking to any hotel, B&B or Airbnb owners who may have encountered the couple, who likely insisted on paying in cash.

Although the couple are believed to have become increasingly isolated in recent years, police have not ruled out the possibility that they are receiving help to avoid detection by friends.

The couple met in 2016, prompting Ms. Marten to drop out of drama school and severe ties with her family.

However, her father, Napier Marten, urged his daughter to contact the police so that she and her baby, whose gender is unknown, could receive medical attention.

In an emotional appeal, he said that while he was estranged from his “dear daughter,” he was “deeply concerned” for her and would “do whatever is necessary to ensure your safe return to us.”

Mary Anna Marten, the paternal grandmother of Mrs. Marten and her brothers Maximilian, 34, and Tobias, 31, was the late Queen Mother’s goddaughter. Her great-grandfather, Captain Napier Sturt, was the third and last Baron Alington.

Her mother, Virginie De Selliers, 63, is a psychotherapist. Mr Marten was a former page to Queen Elizabeth and heir to the family’s £115million fortune.

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