Family plea on missing daughter
Police admit ‘grave concerns’ for the 24-year-old student’s safety
THE parents of Karen Buckley made a desperate appeal for her safe return yesterday as fears deepened for the student who vanished at the weekend after a night out with friends.
Police said they were ‘gravely concerned’ for the 24-year-old as they confirmed they had traced a man she was seen speaking to on CCTV in the early hours of Sunday.
Officers also examined a flat in Glasgow’s West End where it was revealed Miss Buckley went with the man. In another development, her handbag was discovered in a bin in a city park.
Detectives are also trying to trace a grey car spotted on rural roads north of Glasgow.
Miss Buckley’s distraught father, John, said: ‘We are extremely concerned for her.’
THE family of a student last seen speaking to a man after leaving a nightclub have made an emotional plea for her safe return.
Karen Buckley vanished after telling friends she was going to the toilet and left the club at 1am on Sunday without returning to pick up her jacket.
Detectives, who admitted they were ‘gravely concerned’ for the 24-year-old’s safety, said they had traced the mystery man she was seen speaking to on CCTV outside The Sanctuary nightclub in Glasgow and he was helping them with their investigation.
Police were also examining a flat in the city’s West End, where the Irish occupational therapy student went with the man in his car after she left her friends.
The man, who police stressed is not a suspect, told detectives he was ‘consensually intimate’ with Miss Buckley before she left the flat at 4am. She has not been seen since.
Miss Buckley’s handbag was discovered in a bin outside Dawsholm Park, more than two miles from the nightclub and half a mile from the flat in Dorchester Avenue, Kelvindale, where she was last seen.
The public park was last night the scene of intense police activity.
Detectives are trying to trace a grey car
‘We just want her home safely’
spotted on rural roads between Milngavie and Drymen north of Glasgow between 11am and 3pm on Monday. Speaking at a press conference in Glasgow yesterday, Miss Buckley’s mother, Marian, from Cork, said: ‘ We just want Karen home safely, we are desperate. She is our only daughter, we love her dearly. If anybody has any information please come forward, we would dearly appreciate it.’
Mrs Buckley arrived in Glasgow with her husband John on Monday to help with the search. Mr Buckley pleaded with anyone who might be holding his daughter to let her go. He said: ‘We are extremely concerned for her. We are desperate to get her back and safe with her family.’
Mr Buckley described his daughter as a ‘sensible girl’.
Detective Superintendent Jim Kerr, from Police Scotland’s major investigations team, said he was ‘ gravely concerned’ for her safety and is treating her disappearance as a high-risk missing person inquiry.
He said: ‘ From what we can see, she does not appear to be under duress, there’s no sign of a struggle or reluctance on her part to leave the club.
‘However, that does not mean that something untoward has happened to her at a later stage.’ He added: ‘This is understandably a heartbreaking time for her family.’
Police have also spoken to another man she was seen with. There has been no activity on Miss Buckley’s social media accounts since she went missing and her phone is believed to be out of charge.
Last night, a helicopter continued to monitor the area, while a team of officers conducted a fingertip search in bushes.
Detectives were also passed a small key which they tried on several garages opposite Dorchester Avenue.
Forensic officers left the flat at 8.30pm, carrying three bags and a box full of items including a duvet, a pillow and clothing.
A crime scene photographer was also at the property and a cordon remained round the building with police stationed on the door.
Miss Buckley, a Glasgow Caledonian University student, is described as around 5ft-5ft 2in with brown eyes and dark hair.
When last seen, she was wearing a black jumpsuit with red high-heeled shoes.
She has three brothers, Brendan, 32, Kieran, 28, and Damian, 27.
The two youngest brothers are on their way from Australia to help with the s earch. Speaking f r om Australia yesterday, Kieran Buckley said: ‘It is very tough on everyone. We are just trying to stay positive.’