Remains are of missing man

BRITISH police have confirmed a decomposed body found in Dorset is that of a Kenmare man who had been missing since Christmas 2006.

A DNA sample provided by a family member has helped to positively identify Sean Wheatley, 41, whose remains were discovered by a walker in a remote area of Dorset last February.

The last sighting of Mr Wheatley was in Bantry on New Year’s Eve 2006. He had been missing from his home in Lackaroo, Kenmare, since the previous December 17.

His car, a green Ford Mondeo, was last seen in the Bantry area on December 31, 2006.

Mr Wheatley made contact with his family through a phone call from France in July 2007.

However, the next development was the discovery of the body in Dorset, which police were unable to identify.

An appeal by British police for help in identifying the man failed to elicit a response and the gardaí were then contacted for a list of missing men in Ireland.

Gardaí took a DNA sample from a family member in Kenmare and that led to confirmation of Mr Wheatley’s identity.

It was discovered that he had travelled by ferry from France to England and his family believe he died around Christmas time as he was making his way back to Ireland. An inquest failed to establish the cause of his death.

“We still have to put together a lot of pieces since he first disappeared,” a family member said.

Mr Wheatley’s remains were cremated and it is planned to bring his ashes back home in the coming weeks.