The mother of missing Jack O’Sullivan has criticised the police investigation into her son’s disappearance, claiming crucial opportunities to secure CCTV footage were missed and that the family has been “totally let down”. Jack was 22 when he disappeared on 2 March 2024 after leaving a house party in Bristol. He was last seen in the Hotwells area, around three miles from his home, during the early hours of the morning. Despite extensive searches and appeals, his family remain without answers more than two years after his disappearance.
‘It highlights the total failure’
Jack’s mother, Catherine O’Sullivan, who is originally from Neath, raised fresh concerns after the family was contacted by a Hotwells resident. In a video posted on the Find Jack Facebook page, Catherine said the resident told the family that police approached her on 4 May 2024 — two months and two days after Jack vanished — asking whether she still had Ring doorbell footage which might have captured him. Catherine believes that by then any potentially important footage would have been automatically overwritten. She also claimed other residents received police calling cards asking them to check footage from 24 March, despite Jack having disappeared on 2 March. Catherine said: “It really does shock and sadden us when we have this information. “It just highlights the total failure the police have made in their attempt to find Jack.”
‘We have no faith or confidence in the system’
The family has asked Avon and Somerset Police why some CCTV enquiries were apparently made weeks after Jack disappeared and why the incorrect date was allegedly written on some calling cards. Catherine said the family was still waiting for a full explanation. “Jack has been totally let down,” she said. “If anybody has any CCTV footage, even if they’ve already shared it with police, we would really appreciate seeing it ourselves because we have no faith or confidence in the system.”
Police reviewing family’s concerns
Avon and Somerset Police said it was reviewing the concerns raised by Jack’s family. The force’s initial assessment indicated officers conducted house-to-house enquiries in Hotwells and Granby Hill between 2 and 3 March, shortly after Jack disappeared. Police have also said that returning to properties weeks or months later can form part of normal investigative work where officers were unable to speak to residents during earlier visits. The College of Policing has also been brought in to examine Avon and Somerset Police’s handling of the investigation. Senior adviser Oliver Laurence said an independent senior investigating officer was due to review the case and consider whether all relevant lines of enquiry had been properly explored. Jack’s family continue to appeal for information and are urging the public to keep sharing his details as they seek answers about what happened to him.
Originally published by UKNIP.
