Missing man’s family seek public’s help

GARDAÍ are set to make a major appeal for help in solving the disappearance of plastering contractor Tommy Thompson, who has been missing from his home in the midlands since last April.

His wife Sandra, his daughter Vicky and son Mark will make an emotional appeal on Crimecall following a reconstruction of his last known movements.

Sandra has told how her husband of 23 years sent her a bank draft, did his shopping and began work on a new job in Dublin’s Castleknock before he disappeared without a trace.

The 59-year-old had been working in Ireland for the past eight years and returned home to England regularly. During his last conversation with Sandra on April 20, he made plans to return for the funeral of a neighbour in the north of England.

But that night his mobile phone powered off and his wife and children became instantly worried that something was wrong.

“The last conversation was completely normal. I told him I was going to Edinburgh that night and I told him about a neighbour of ours who had died because I knew he would want to come home for the funeral,” said Sandra.

“He told me he had taken delivery on a job in Dublin and would be starting on Monday.

“It was perfectly normal and later that night he texted me to tell me to have a good time in Edinburgh.

“But later his daughter tried to ring him and couldn’t get him. He was in touch with his kids all the time. When I rang him on Saturday there was nothing and on Sunday we still couldn’t get in touch.

“I thought he was maybe with a friend who lived in the mountains and that there was no service on his phone. But by Monday morning when he would have been due to go to work and there was still nothing from him I knew something was seriously wrong.

“I contacted the police and when they got to his house they found the door was unlocked and damaged. Everything of value was still in the house. They brought forensics in immediately.

“This is just so unusual for him. It would be totally abnormal for him not to be in touch all the time.

“He had just been home for two weeks for easter and there was no indication that anything was wrong.

“We are very, very worried and desperate for help now and I would appeal to anyone who may know something or who may have seen him around that time to contact the gardaí,” said Sandra.

A new series of Crimecall starts tomorrow at 10.15pm on RTÉ 1.