Sex offender missing with aristocrat’s daughter ‘raped neighbour while armed with garden shears’

Mark Gordon served 20 years in a US prison for his crimes

A sex offender missing with an aristocrat’s daughter raped his victim while armed with “garden shears”.

Court documents reportedly reveal that Mark Gordon, when aged just 14, 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 papers, seen by the Daily Mail, say the victim’s “two small children were sleeping in their bedroom” at the time of the attack in April 1989.

Gordon, who is missing with his partner Constance Marten and their newborn baby, was later jailed in Florida for rape and battery. After serving a 20-year sentence he was deported back to the UK in 2010.

Gordon was born in Birmingham, West Midlands, but he, his mother and his half-siblings moved to the US when he was still a child.

US court records describe how Gordon is said to have broken in through the woman's bathroom window, before finding a pair of her stockings which he used as a makeshift mask to cover his face.

Once he had encountered his victim, the documents state: “The suspect ordered the victim back into the bedroom and while still armed, demanded that the victim undress.”

He is then said to sexually assaulted and raped the victim.

Britain Missing Couple

There were a total of six charges against Gordon relating to the 1989 attack: 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.

The file reportedly described Gordon's actions once he had entered the house: “The suspect placed a nylon stocking over his face to conceal his identity since he lived next door and was known by her.

“The suspect was armed with a kitchen knife as well as a pair of hedge clippers and after the victim came out of her bedroom to investigate the dogs barking, came across the suspect lurking just outside her bedroom door.

“The victim was held for a period of approximately four-and-a-half hours against her will by the armed intruder.

“After miranda [being given the right to remain silent], the suspect admitted to the crime and gave a sworn, taped statement outlining the sequence of events as they occurred.

“It should be noted that during the commission of the crime, the victim's two small children were sleeping in their bedroom.”

(Met Police/Florida Department of Law Enforcement)

While a fugitive from the first attack, Gordon committed another violent armed raid just weeks later.

On 21 May 1989, he broke into a different man's house while he was sleeping, grabbed a kitchen knife and then battered the householder around the head with a heavy shovel when he awoke.

Court documents state that Gordon encountered the man, one of multiple occupants of the house, lying in bed when he suddenly awakened, “at which time the defendant beat the victim about his head and body” with the shovel.

Police are desperately trying to find Ms Marten, her baby and Gordon after their car burst into flames on the M61 in Bolton, Greater Manchester, on 5 January. They then travelled from Bolton to Liverpool before taking another taxi to Harwich - arriving on Friday, 6 January.

Police said they were also in Colchester before taking a taxi to East Ham station. This was the location of their last confirmed sighting on Saturday 7 January.

They could now be anywhere in the UK and Ms Marten - who comes from a wealthy aristocratic family - and Mr Gordon have used scarves and hoodies to disguise themselves to avoid CCTV.

Ms Marten grew up in Crichel House, a Dorset estate, as part of an eminent family with links to the royals. Her grandmother was a playmate of Princess Margaret, while her father was a page to the Queen, who died last year.

Constance Marten and Mark Gordon were last seen in East Ham, London (Met Police)

Investigators say the couple appears to know how to evade authorities – making the search for them harder.

More than 100 officers are involved in the investigation and have more than 223 CCTV hours with assistance from the National Crime Agency.

Detective superintendent Basford, leading the investigation, 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.”