Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
I’m begging you.. please bring back my children
Fears dad fled with young daughters on ferry to Ulster
A DISTRAUGHT mum has begged her ex-partner to return their two daughters after he disappeared with them in a camper van.
Police have launched a manhunt over fears Michael Mckinney and his Czech girlfriend Martina have taken Grace, eight, and Kara, five, to Northern Ireland.
The girls’ mum Victoria, from Perth, Scotland, yesterday said she was “desperately worried” after Michael failed to turn up for an arranged hand-over on Friday.
She has launched an online appeal – shared over 50,000 times – calling for anyone who spots him and “heavy-built” Martina to contact police.
Michael lives in nearby Alyth but his Elddis Autoquest camper van is understood to have boarded a ferry to Larne, Co Antrim, on Thursday.
Victoria said: “The girls were visiting their dad for a week, but were due back on Friday.
“I am really desperately worried, they will be highly distressed if he has taken them away.
“I don’t think they will come to physical harm, but they are young girls and school is starting up after the holidays today.
“It is just unacceptable not to have made contact, he is not thinking about their welfare at all in all of this.
“He has deleted his Facebook page and his phone is turned off, which makes me think that he is planning to just disappear off-grid with them.”
In a Facebook post, she added: “They will be with their father Michael Mckinney – 5ft 10ins, grey hair worn in a top knot with shaven sides and a goatee – and his Czech girlfriend Martina – 5ft 5ins with shoulderlength dark brown hair and heavy build – and also her three-year-old boy Woody who has blonde hair.”
Police Scotland have confirmed they are searching for the pair and that, in line with all missing children, the case is being treated as “high risk”.
A spokesman said: “We continue to be concerned regarding the whereabouts of Grace and Kara Mckinney, who are missing and were last seen in Alyth, Perth and Kinross.
“The girls are thought to be travelling with their father Michael Mckinney, his girlfriend Martina and her son Woody, three.
“They are all thought to have travelled to Northern Ireland on Thursday, August 10, most likely in their camper van.
“We are making relevant enquiries in conjunction with our colleagues at the PSNI.
“Grace is described as 4ft 10ins, slim with red/auburn hair and Kara is 4ft with red/auburn hair.
“They were travelling in a creamcoloured Eldis Autoquest Motorhome H36 PBO.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact police.