TV’s Melissa Porter in new fight for her baby over abduction claims

Accused by a U.S. telecoms tycoon of abducting her own baby, TV presenter Melissa Porter had hoped her horrific tug-of-love battle over her 12-month-old baby would be over by now.

But just weeks after former White House aide Peter Rinfret lost his claim in the High Court that Melissa had abducted their son, the heartbroken former star of BBC’s Countryfile has learned he is now issuing similar proceedings in the U.S.

Melissa, who met financier Rinfret on a blind date in London — he was then married to U.S. interior designer Cindy Rinfret, whom he has since divorced — is exhausted and fearful over her former lover’s new court action.

It comes after she successfully fought off his abduction claim in the High Court and won an interim custody order.

The businessman claims that Cheshire-born Melissa, 39, abducted Pierce by bringing  him back to Britain to live with her in London.

However, to begin with Melissa believed that Peter wanted to move with her.

She told me at the time: ‘I want to come back to Britain to work and Peter wants to come with me.’ Sadly, her belief that Rinfret would be able to commute between a home in Chelsea and his company in Connecticut proved impossible.‘They separated, but on friendly terms,’ says a friend. ‘So the original court proceedings came out of the blue.’Melissa is said to be struggling to find money to pay for this latest legal battle. Friends say she will have to find £20,000 to fight the American action.‘The idea that Melissa would abduct her own child is just ridiculous. She is a brilliant mother and does not deserve to be treated like this,’ says the friend. ‘It is a warning to other people about the perils of having a baby abroad. She is so scared she might lose him.’Rinfret’s U.S. lawyers said their client had no comment.

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