THE family of missing Jack O’Sullivan are hoping his phone records could help solve the mystery of his disappearance.
Jack, 23, vanished without a trace after a house party in Bristol on March 2.
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His mum Catherine O’Sullivan believes her son is still alive and has been battling with the police to get his phone records released.
Operator EE has now been in touch with the family and it is hoped a breakthrough could be reached soon.
Jack’s loved ones said: “We are confident that EE are treating this with both the respect and urgency that we need and while we don’t have an outcome yet, they are doing all the right things.”
The student had called his mum after he left the house party but she has been unable to get his phone records – despite it being her account.
His phone pinged at an address in the Granby Hill area at 5.40am and remained active for a further hour and four minutes.
Catherine had originally gone to Avon and somerset Police to request the information but was turned down due to data protection laws.
Officers also said the information had not taken the investigation any further in terms of being able to locate Jack.
The family then took their fight to EE as they believe police could have missed something.
Catherine has previously told how she has lost confidence in the police and believes they “fixated” on a theory that Jack fell in a river.
She has also claimed officers missed vital CCTV clues – including a sighting of Jack.
The mum added: “I wanted to see CCTV footage and was given some to review myself at home. I found Jack walking along the top of a bridge that had been completely missed by the police.
“For us the fact it was missed was a huge mistake and so detrimental. It was over three months and the search lost such vital signs and opportunities to secure more CCTV.
“It was then I started to doubt what I had been told.
“We are also still trying to pursue phone data so we can see ourselves. After the mess with the CCTV we can not leave anything to chance and want to make sure everything is looked at properly.
“We are having to get a court order to get our hands on it and it is taking a while.
“We will just keep going and look into every possible sighting. We know police aren’t taking a lot of them seriously so we have to follow up ourselves.”
Jack had messaged his mum at 1.52am to tell her he was fine and was going to get a taxi home.
He then left the house party just before 3am – with his last confirmed sighting 13 minutes later at the junction of Brunel Lock Way and Brunel Way.
When Catherine woke up at 5am, she realised Jack was not at home and raised the alarm.
She and Jack’s dad have lodged a formal complaint against Avon and Somerset Police over its handling of his disappearance.
Jack’s final movements before vanishing
These were Jack O’Sullivan’s movements on the night of March 1-2.
- 6pm – Jack leaves his flat in the village of Flax Bourton to meet his friends.
- 8.20pm – Jack travels by bus to a Wetherspoons in Bristol city centre.
- 10.45pm – Jack texts Catherine saying he has gone to a house party in Hotwells and his keys are safe.
- 1.52am – Jack texts Catherine saying he is fine and will get a cab home.
- Just before 3am – Jack leaves the house party.
- 3.13am – last confirmed sighting of Jack walking onto a grassy area at the junction of Brunel Lock Way and Brunel Way.
- 3.24am – Jack tries to call a friend who was still at the party.
- 3.25am – possible sighting of Jack heading towards Bristol city centre.
- 3.34am – Jack’s friend tries to call him back but he only says ‘Hello’ before breaking up.
- 3.38am – Footage shows a person who could be Jack walking along the Bennett Way slip road
- 6.44am – Jack’s phone still active on Find My Friends
The force says that since his disappearance, more than 20 different teams and departments have been involved in the investigation.
There has also been more than 100 hours of CCTV reviewed, 200 hours of searches on the river, 40 land searches and 16 drone deployments.
The force has received almost 100 calls from the public with possible sightings.
Assistant Chief Constable 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.”
An EE spokesperson said: “We’re aware of Jack’s case. This is a police matter so we currently can’t comment any further at this time.”
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