The Gardaí renew their appeal for a father who has been missing for eight years.
Dean Roche, 31, of Hebron Park, Co Kilkenny, has been missing from his home where he lived with his mother since 22 March 2015, reports The Mirror.
Since his disappearance, his 59-year-old mother, Geraldine, has passed away, not knowing what happened to her son.
That morning he had left home to buy a car and told her mother. It has been established that he traveled to Ballyfoyle by taxi at about 7am.
The vehicle was found crashed shortly after. He was last confirmed dead in the driveway of a property in Newpark, Ballyfoyle, at 9.00pm, reports The Mirror.
Dean is described as 5 feet 8 inches tall with green eyes and short brown hair. When he was last seen, he was wearing a black zip-up suit, sweatpants, and white sneakers.
In a statement, Gardai said: “Searches have been carried out over a vast area of countryside, which is renowned for its slurry pits. Dean’s family have been reassured these pits have also been extensively searched. Garda were supported by the dog and water units and the army. During one of the searches, a red Manchester United woollen hat, believed to be Dean’s, was found. Family have also performed their own searches and enquiries in the area, to no avail. One witness reported seeing a silver car travelling at speed and heard voices saying “get in quick”, reports The Mirror.
Gardai is urging local farmers to survey their farms, outbuildings and land to aid in the search for Dean. Anyone who has seen him or can help him with his requests is requested to contact Kilkenny Garda station on 056 777 5000 or the Garda private telephone line on 1800 666 111.
Alternatively, members of the public can call the Missing Persons Helpline in Ireland on 1890 442 552 or, if you wish to remain anonymous, use their confidential Help Bring Them Home line on 1800 911 999, reports The Mirror.
Dean and Damian Hipwell, a close friend of the Roche family, are determined to fulfill their dying wish to be buried with their son, who everyone accepts is dead, as soon as possible.
“Dean was last seen by a woman in Ballyfoyle when he called at a woman’s house in a distressed and disorientated state on March 22, 2015. He ran off before she could help and she told Gardai that she saw a large silver car speed past her gate. She could hear a man shouting to another person demanding them to get into the car and it roared off into the distance. This car is so important in finding out what happened to Dean and questions really need to be asked about who was driving the car out there,” explained Mr Hipwell, reports The Mirror.
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