Renewed appeal to find Jack O’Sullivan, 23, six months on
There is 1 related update to this story
Today (Monday 2 September) marks six months since the disappearance of 23-year-old Jack O’Sullivan in Bristol.
Jack, from North Somerset, was last seen in the early hours of Saturday 2 March after he attended a house party in the Hotwells area of Bristol.
The last likely sighting of Jack was at 3.38am walking down Bennett Way slip road, heading back towards Bristol city centre.
Since his disappearance, more than 20 different Avon and Somerset teams and departments have been involved in the investigation.
They have additionally been supported by other agencies and emergency services, such as the fire and ambulance service, National Police Air Service (NPAS), RNLI, HM Coastguard and independent search and digital experts.
Since the start of the investigation six months ago there has been:
- More than 100 hours of CCTV collated and reviewed multiple times by different officers
- More than 200 hours of searches on the river and the surrounding banks by the police dive team
- Mounted police searches from Bristol City Centre to Flax Bourton, including the Ashton Court estate and Long Ashton.
- More than 40 land searches
- Our drone unit has been deployed 16 times during the searches carried out to date.
- Almost 100 calls from the public with possible sightings
- Eight media appeals issued
The investigation into Jack’s disappearance is still ongoing, with further searches planned following information and advice received from other law enforcement agencies.
In June, we received a complaint through our Professional Standards Department regarding areas of concern raised by the Jack’s family.
We made a voluntary referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), who responded stating it was appropriate for a local investigation carried out by investigators in our Professional Standards Department (PSD).
The investigation into the complaint continues and we will update Jack’s family first when the report is finalised.
Assistant Chief Constable Joanne Hall, who met with the family in July to discuss their concerns, said: “Our staff and officers remain committed to doing everything we can to find Jack and we do not underestimate what a distressing time this has been, and continues to be, for his family.
“Throughout our investigation, we’ve been open-minded about what happened to Jack, considering different possible outcomes and scenarios following his last sighting.
“We have sought reviews from independent agencies such as the National Crime Agency (NCA) and experts such as oceanographers and independent Police Search Advisors.
“Sadly, despite the efforts carried out to date, we have been unable to find Jack and we fully appreciate the anguish this is having on his family and our thoughts remain with them during this hugely difficult time.”
We are once again renewing our appeal for any witnesses from Saturday 2 March to come forward. You may have been driving into or out of Bristol city centre in a taxi, a personal car or a bus, or you could have been on foot and walking in a similar area to Jack. If you haven’t yet spoken to police and have information, we want to hear from you.
If you have any doorbell, dashcam, CCTV or mobile phone footage from that night which could have Jack in it, please contact us as well.
If you have any information, please call 101 and quote reference 5224055172, or complete our online appeals form.
FAQs
Following our renewed appeal above, we have received a few questions from the public. Please see some question and answers below which we hope provide some clarity:
Why are you not sharing Jack’s phone data with his family?
Officers have conducted an in-depth analysis of Jack’s phone use and data movements after his last confirmed sighting, this has included receiving information from Jack’s phone provider. Unfortunately, this information has not taken us any further in our bid to locate Jack.
In August, we received a request from the Jack’s family requesting a copy of the data. Unfortunately, due to the strict handling and retention requirements laid out in Home Office Communications Data Code of Practice, which applies to data obtained under section 60A of the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, as well as GDPR and Data Protection, we have been unable to fulfil this request as the law does not allow us to share it.
By disclosing this data to a third party, officers would be unable to comply with the requirements set out in law, including having no control over how it is stored, if it is shared beyond the agreed parameters and if it is retained beyond the legally permitted time period. The information also holds private data belonging to other members of the public.
ACC Joanne Hall said: “We have taken time to carefully consider the data request to see if there was any way we could agree to it in order for Jack’s family to get the answers they deserve following his disappearance. However, on this occasion, we are restricted by law and have been unable to identify a clear legal basis which would allow for the disclosure to take place.”
Have you made contact with Apple regarding the AirTag?
Yes, we have carried out enquiries regarding the AirTag. Sadly, there is no data for this due to there being no connection to a named personal account, so it also takes us no further in our search for Jack.
Can you confirm the last time Jack was seen on any available footage?
The last confirmed sighting of Jack, where we can say with certainty that it is Jack, was at 3.13am when he was walking through a car park onto a green area below Plimsol Swing Bridge, by the Cumberland Basin.
Following a further review, two later sightings of someone who we believe to be Jack were located. This footage is grainy and taken from a distance, so we cannot say with absolute certainty that it is Jack, however due to the timing, the location and the family’s views, we feel that it is likely to be him. The last of these sightings is at 3.38am on Bennett Way.
You mention extra searches taking place this week, where are they taking place and why only now?
As part of our investigation, we’ve consulted with national independent experts to look at the enquiries we’ve already carried out and make recommendations on what else we can do to find Jack. One of these reviews has been from a tidal expert, who recommended additional areas we could search further up the river Avon, primarily areas of the riverbank which are harder to reach. We are due to complete these searches over the coming week and we are constantly checking and reconsidering all aspects of the investigation as we progress our enquiries.
Why aren’t you communicating with the family?
We continue to work with Jack’s family to find the best and most appropriate way to communicate with them. There is a dedicated officer who stays in regular contact with them and we continue to discuss different ways and solutions to communicate moving forward. Our Assistant Chief Constable, Joanne Hall, has also had the opportunity to meet with Jack’s family recently.
With investigations of this nature, there tends to be periods which are more dynamic and fast-paced and others which are longer-running.
Where the investigation has progressed and activity becomes more prolonged, or there are fewer updates to give, the communication flow will not be to the same extent. However, whenever there are any significant updates, we will always make direct contact with them.
What do you do with any reports of sightings or information?
We remain open-minded about what happened to 23-year-old Jack O’Sullivan after he went missing on Saturday 2 March in the Cumberland Basin area of Bristol and our investigation is continuing.
Since Jack disappeared, we’ve received more than 130 calls in our contact centre with information, as well as receiving weekly updates from the family’s representatives.
Each report is carefully assessed and triaged by detectives from our investigation team. They consider the information provided, the evidential value and the relevance to the investigation. Wherever necessary they follow-up the report by contacting the informant and conducting further enquiries.
On several occasions, we’ve received a single-call report where someone who looks like Jack has been seen elsewhere in the country. Officers will use a probability scale to make a proportionate judgement about the information provided based on the information and evidence available. This allows us to focus the resources we have available on the reports which present more meaningful lines of enquiry.
We’re always grateful for the public’s continued and ongoing support of this investigation. Our priority remains focussed on finding out what happened to Jack and giving his family the answers they desperately need.