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An aristocratic mother on the run with her rapist partner and their newborn baby has been traumatized by a charismatic Nigerian evangelical church leader, a friend has revealed.
Constance Marten, 35, is believed to have spent around six months living in Nigeria and working for controversial pastor TB Joshua, becoming one of his so-called “disciples” when she went to university.
A family friend said Ms Marten, whose family used to own the £100m Crichel House estate set on 5,000 acres in Dorset, seemed “traumatised” upon her return to the UK.
The friend, whom we are not naming at her request, said she believed Ms Marten had now fallen under the influence of her partner Mark Gordon, 49, who served 20 years in a US jail for the rape. and the kidnapping of a young woman during a knifepoint robbery in 1989.
Ms Constance Marten (pictured) was traumatized by a charismatic Nigerian evangelical church leader, a friend revealed.
Ms Marten and her partner Mark Gordon have been missing since January 5 after their car broke down and caught fire on the M61. The couple was seen walking off the highway with their newborn.
He added that Ms Marten cut herself off from her family almost completely after they learned of Gordon’s record as a sex offender and tried to warn her to stay away from him to no avail.
The prophecies and teachings of Joshua, who died at age 57 in June 2021, have drawn tens of thousands of followers, including sports stars and prominent politicians from Africa and Latin America.
The pastor who was described as “the prophet” was known for his repeated claims that his prayers could help heal the sick through the “supernatural power of God that brings health to human flesh.”
Constance Marten, photographed again at the party in 2013, has been missing for two weeks.
Constance Marten, pictured on the right, at the Mist Mag party in 2013 with two other women
Ms Marten, nicknamed Toots by her friends, is believed to have bonded with Joshua after attending an evangelical-style course exploring Christian beliefs in London.
Her friend said: ‘She ended up becoming one of his disciples in Nigeria. I think they brainwashed her while she was there. Her experience traumatized her.
‘She was not the same person when she came back. She always used to be wild, but also happy, kind and optimistic. She was darker when she came back and found things more difficult.
‘She never told us what really happened. TB Joshua was a God-like figure. He was terrifying, and I think he changed her. He was a big part of his life.
Toots used to travel a lot from a very young age, but when he returned from Nigeria, relations with his family were strained.
He was still exuberant in everything, but relationships were very difficult for him. She was like she got totally fucked back. She was more rebellious. He thought that he had recovered, but it was difficult for her.
The friend, who has known her since childhood, said Ms Marten planned to do a “television exposé” on Joshua and his techniques after she joined the international English-language news channel Al Jazeera as a lead researcher in 2012.
Ms Marten’s LinkedIn profile describing her work with Al Jazeera also suggests this was the case: ‘I pitched an idea for a documentary about a religious cult in Nigeria.
“He tracked down former members of the sect, in the UK, Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa, to gather solid first-hand information.”
Ms Marten, whose grandmother Mary Marten was a goddaughter of the late Queen Mother and was attending Brownies at Buckingham Palace with Princess Margaret, also hinted at the trauma she had experienced in Nigeria in a 2013 Facebook post.
She commented on a blog detailing the experiences of a woman named Beth who wrote about the “lasting psychological effect” of spending 18 months as a “disciple” of the church, which she described as “the worst experiences of my life.”
Ms Marten praised the blog in her post, dated April 2, 2013, when she said: ‘Beth, THANK YOU! The result of being involved in a cult has enormous effects on a person when they escape.
Police posted this photo of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon outside East Ham station at around 11:45am on January 7.
‘Your character is completely broken and it’s hard to explain to others, thank you xxxxx.’
Ms Marten is believed to have kept her pregnancy a secret by moving between various Airbnb properties to escape the attention of authorities.
But concern for her grew just one day after giving birth when her and her Birmingham-born partner Gordon’s car caught fire on the M61 near Bolton, Greater Manchester.
They traveled to Liverpool before heading to Harwich, Essex and nearby Colchester and then east to London as police frantically urged them to come forward to ensure their baby could receive the proper checks.
Mrs Marten’s father, Napier Marten, a former page to the late Queen whose grandfather was the 3rd Baron Alington, revealed yesterday that he and his family were “deeply concerned” for the well-being of his “dear” daughter and baby.
The film producer said it was “beyond painful” to see her “so vulnerable” and suggested that she and her baby should be protected by the authorities.
Marten spoke as Scotland Yard said it was following up a number of “good leads” after a spate of calls from the public about possible sightings of the pair.
The friend said she did not know how Ms. Marten had met Gordon, but claimed her family was concerned that she was with him.
She said: ‘The family met him very early when they started dating, and they came to ask for money.
Ancestors of Constance: George Marten with his wife Mary and their daughters Victoria, Charlotte and Georgina
‘They reviewed his past and found that he had been in prison in the United States. They were concerned about his record and let him know. His response was to close the hatches and stay with him.
‘She is a very loyal person, but also very stubborn. That’s when she just disappeared off the face of the earth around 2015 or 2016.
He was in contact with his family for a while, but none of his friends knew where he had gone. So she had no contact with anyone. She even changed the mobile number that she had for years.
I know, he might be the love of her life and it might not be as bad as everyone is kissing, but he might as well have this hold on her.
“It has been reported that she lives off a massive trust fund, but I don’t think that’s the case. She has come to light that they have been living in some horrible places in London and have been evicted for not paying their rent. That wouldn’t happen if she had access to a trust fund.
The friend added: ‘Growing up, she was strong and smart. I just hope she gets the help she needs.
Ms Marten’s father said in her appeal: “Dear Constance, although we remain estranged, I stand by, as I always have and as the family always has, to do whatever it takes to bring you back safely. with us.
‘I beg you to find a way to turn yourself and your little one over to the police as soon as possible so that you and he or she can be protected. Only then can a healing and recovery process begin.
I also want you to understand that you are very, very loved, whatever the circumstances. We are deeply concerned for your well-being and that of your baby. Seeing you so vulnerable again is an extreme test.
In an audio appeal, carried through The Independent, he said the family had lived with “great concern”, knowing of Gordon’s past, “for some time”.
Police have said that Ms Marten’s life changed upon meeting Gordon. “At that point, the social, normal and prosperous aspects of Constance’s life come to a halt,” Detective Chief Inspector Stephen Payne said. They are separated from the family.
Constance Marten, whose nickname was Toots, comes from an aristocratic family.
Gordon was 14 when he raped a young neighbor at knifepoint after breaking into her Florida home and holding her captive for four hours with a pair of garden shears while her two children slept in the next room in 1989.
As he fled, he broke into a man’s home and hit him over the head with a shovel, according to US court documents.
He spent 20 years behind bars before being deported to Britain in 2010.
The Metropolitan Police have appealed to anyone with information on the couple’s whereabouts to call 020 7175 0785. Information can also be reported anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.