Missing EastEnders actress’ Ghanaian boyfriend ‘fled to Ghana’

The boyfriend of missing ex-Eastenders actress Sian Blake has reportedly fled to Africa, as his ex-wife claimed he was a violent coke dealer who beat her and their daughter.

Police spoke to Arthur Simpson Kent, 48, at the family home in Erith on Wednesday, December 16 – three days after Miss Blake and their two young sons disappeared.

Police are investigating the murder of Sian and their two sons Zachary, eight, and four-year-old Amon after three bodies were discovered in the back garden of the house in Erith, south east London, earlier today.

It has tonight been claimed that Mr Simpson Kent is now in Ghana in Africa after flying out via Amsterdam just before Christmas.

A source told the Sun that ‘Interpol have been informed and there is an alert out to find him.’

Last night Simpson-Kent’s ex-wife Dominique Deblieux claimed he was a violent coke dealer who beat her and their daughter.

Speaking from her home in Cagnes-Sur-Mer, southern France, she said: “He smoked cocaine on many occasions and dealt a little in it too. I’m wondering now whether drugs lie behind what he is supposed to have done in England.”

She added that their marriage was a “waste of time” and he “didn’t really care” for his daughter Isis. “He was a violent man towards me,” she said, claiming that he had eight children by several women.

A neighbour of Sian said the actress was wearing dark glasses when she saw her at the start of November.

She said: “I said ‘Hi’ but she ignored me. The talk was she had been beaten up, that she was trying to cover up her injuries.”

The day after Sian was last seen alive, Simpson-kent was allegedly seen alone at the house filling Sian’s Renault Scenic with black bin bags and the boys failed to turn up at school.

It is believed the Samaritans alerted the police to his well-being and when they arrived he reported his partner and sons missing.

Last night it was reported relatives received text messages from Sian’s phone saying she was okay and wanted to spend one last Christmas with the boys after she disappeared.

It is believed they were sent by Simpson-Kent while he was in the Colchester and Cambridge areas on the way to Glasgow, before Simpson-Kent is believed to have fled to Ghana.

In 1999 Simpson-Kent married French national Dominique Deblieux in east London and they had a daughter who is thought to be 16 years old. Mother and daughter moved to France when the couple split up.

Police are understood to be probing claims he was spotted clearing out the house with bin liners before he disappeared and also carrying out ‘cell site’ analysis on his mobile phone to piece together his movements.

Det Supt Monk, from the Met Police, said: “Our efforts are continuing to find Arthur Simpson-Kent.

“Our appeal is to anyone who may know his current whereabouts or can assist us in finding him – we do need to speak to him as a matter of
urgency.”

It comes as it was revealed that the Metropolitan Police could be referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission over its handling of the case.

Officers continue to be concerned for the welfare of Arthur Simpson-Kent, 48, who is Miss Blake’s partner and father of the children.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “The case has not been referred to the IPCC at this stage.

“However, the Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) was informed on January 4th, and they are now working with the investigation team to fully understand the timeline of interaction with the family.”

The DPS is responsible for investigating complaints against the professional conduct of police officers.

Forensic teams and officers were seen earlier today carrying spades into the house in Erith.

The bungalow, on a normal suburban street, appears unkempt with overgrown grass and a small rusty gate leading to a red door.

On the usually quiet street, a police van and a police car wait outside while scenes of crimes officers searched the house.

In the garden, where the bodies were found at lunchtime today, a large blue tent has been erected by police officers.

Post-mortem examinations on three bodies recovered following a search at the home address will take place tomorrow, police have said.

The examinations will be carried out at the Princess Royal Hospital at Farnborough Hospital.

Ms Blake – who played homewrecker Frankie Pierre in the BBC soap in the mid-1990s – was last seen alive after visiting relatives in Leyton, east London, with her sons on Sunday December 13th.

Sian’s car was found abandoned in Bethnal Green, east London, over the weekend.

Police say it is not known why the vehicle was parked there and by whom.

Neighbours said sign language teacher Sian suffers from motor neurone disease and was looking “thin and frail” before her disappearance.

Police are still searching Sian Blake’s house and have removed several bags of numbered evidence. Police guards have been on duty at both the front and back of the house all day