Michael Gaine disappearance still a mystery as 'no leads' yet found in case of missing farmer

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris had an almost two-hour briefing on the case from gardaí in Kerry

Defence forces and gardaí searching the farm of Michael Gaine who was last seen on March 20. Garda Commissioner said: 'As yet, we can find no trace of him.' Picture: Dan Linehan

“No leads” have been established in the case of missing Kerry farmer Michael Gaine almost one month after his mystery disappearance, the Garda Commissioner has said.

Drew Harris said he had an almost two-hour briefing on the case from gardaí in Kerry on the investigation on Tuesday.

“We are still at this moment trying to work out what happened to Michael Gaine. As yet, we can find no trace of him.

We've certainly been given a lot of assistance and information from the public but we have yet to find him. 

Michael Gaine, 56, was last seen shortly before 10am, on March 20, when he walked into a Centra store in Kenmare to buy phone credit.

He was reportedly seen later that day in the Kerry town, which is near his rural home.

Michael Gaine, 56, was filmed on CCTV in a Centra store in Kenmare shortly before 10am on March 20. He was reportedly seen later that day in the town but there has been no trace of him since. Picture: An Garda Síochána

“It remains a missing person investigation,” Mr Harris said, speaking at the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) annual conference in Killarney.

A “huge amount” of work has gone into the investigation, with physical searches, CCTV and dashcam footage recovery, house to house enquiries “together with all the other enquiries one would make in terms of proof of life,” Mr Harris said.

“We are still very much appealing for information.” 

He appealed for people to come forward “with whatever shred of information that they might have".

We want to get as much information as possible and then that will be subject to analysis. 

No foreign police forces have been contacted as there “has been no rationale” to pursue that line of enquiry, Mr Harris said.

Anger at AGSI conference 

Meanwhile, anger over the new garda policing model — which has now been introduced in all but two areas — has been expressed by garda representative associations, who all say that it is unworkable in its current form.

Drew Harris rejected that criticism at the annual AGSI conference.

He said that there had been consultation both locally and nationally on the new operating model over the last six years.

The AGSI said that Mr Harris — who is due to leave the post in September — leaves a legacy of failing policing strategies and tense industrial relations.

Policing has been turned into a business under Mr Harris' tenure, with spreadsheets replacing community and rebranding replacing real reform, the president of the Association said.

Harris 'stands over' his work

However, the Garda Commissioner said that he did not take the criticisms personally and he stood over the work he has done.

Body-worn cameras, a new garda fleet, a new uniform, and new technology have been introduced.

Public order policing equipment, including water cannon, has also been invested in.

Significant investment has also been made into domestic violence and sexual abuse investigations, and in tackling serious and organised crime.

Divisional protective services units are now in every Garda division with over 300 specialist gardaí trained in this work.

There have been 51 successful prosecutions of non-fatal strangulation cases in the last year, and 41 coercive control prosecutions in the last two years.

This, he said, was tangible evidence of the success of the new operating model.