Missing Newbridge man’s father reveals family’s anguish (From South Wales Argus)

Father of missing Newbridge man, Kyle Vaughan, reveals family’s anguish

9:39am Thursday 21st March 2013 in News Exclusive By Keiligh Baker

THE agony continues for the family of Newbridge man Kyle Vaughan, who has now been missing for 11 weeks. His parents and cousin talk exclusively to KEILIGH BAKER.

THE family of missing 24-year-old Kyle Vaughan say they are in a living nightmare – and the pain of not knowing what has happened to him is eating away at them.

His father, Alan, 53, a mechanical engineer, said: “From day one it has been like a nightmare. I can’t find the words to describe what Kyle’s disappearance has been like for us.

“When we were told at three in the morning that our son’s car had been involved in an accident, you can’t imagine the shock.

“Since then, for both Mary and myself, we can’t sleep.

We can’t eat. Because we’re not eating or sleeping, we’re living every single minute of the day. When he first went missing I went looking for him myself and ended up falling down the mountain and really damagingmyribs.

But I told them, I can’t stay in hospital – my son is out there.”

Mum Mary, 51, said: “All Kyle’s mates have been there for us.

“All the friends and family have been so supportive.

“Everyone in Newbridge and the surrounding area have told us how sorry they are for us.”

Kyle’s cousin, Beckie Imm, added: “Every time I go out with Mary there’s always people asking how she’s doing, if they can help in any way, have we had any news?”

Mr Vaughan said: “The worst part is the not knowing.

We can’t put this to rest or drop it, because we don’t know what’s happened to our son. We might never know. We know we’ve got a nightmare coming up. It’s a nightmare for all of us.

“It’s worst for Mary, because he’s her boy. She spoils him rotten. This month was really hard because it was Mary’s birthday and Mother’s Day.

“Mary is worried to death about Kyle’s disappearance.

She’s not well herself, as she’s recovering from cancer, and I’ve had eight strokes and two heart attacks. The stress of not knowing isn’t helping.

“At the end of the day we just want our son back. A part of us is still hoping he is still alive and he’s gone somewhere to chill out, or that he’s met a girl, and he’ll walk through the door any day now. But in our hearts we know that’s not going to happen.

“I get two or three hundred messages a day on Facebook from people asking if I’m OK and how we are all doing.

“We get messages from people in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India, all over the world, all offering their support.

“Kyle was always off doing his own thing – we never held him back. But he would always text or ring, always.

“He would go for a night out in Newport and stay over a mate’s house for a couple of days, but he’d let us know.

“It’s frustrating for us and the police because there are people out there who know something, but they’re not manning up and taking responsibility.

“He had just moved out two weeks before the crash, but he would still come up every day and have his dinner here.

“On the day he disappeared, he came up and we saw him about 5pm. From then until now we have not seen or heard of him, but we know someone out there knows what happened to him.

“Kyle did no harm to anyone.

He liked clubbing, hanging out with his mates. He loved his job at the Pot Noodle factory in Crumlin, he was there for three or four years, where he was a technical operator.

“He loved driving – if he had the petrol he would go driving.

Because Pot Noodle shut down he was free the three weeks before Christmas, so he spent his time visiting his mates.

“Every week I would cook him something I saw on Masterchef for his lunch, and all hismates at work would be jealous.

“It’s the silly things like that we both miss the most. Not being able to shout at him to turn his loud music down. That sort of thing.

“That’s why we need people to think back to that day to see if they remember anything.

“All we want is to find our son.

We just want him home with us, but we know deep down something has happened to him, which isn’t fair on us or Kyle “We’re not angry, because we’ve still got hope. But you can’t help thinking of all the worst possible outcomes.

“Because I do a lot of driving, I do a lot of thinking. One thing I’msure of – you can’t just disappear without a trace in this day and age.

“Someone knows something.

When we were told someone had been arrested on suspicion of his murder I rang his best friends and they came straight around.

They’ve been so supportive.

“It’s hard and it’s frustrating because we know nothing.

“We just want our son to come home.”

Eight suspects arrested and bailed

DURING the course of the investigation eight people have been arrested and released on bail pending further inquiries: A 27-year-old man from Blackwood was arrested on suspicion of murder.

A 62-year-old man from Newbridge was arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.

A 21-year-old man from Newbridge was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

A 15-year-old boy from Abercarn, arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

A 24-year-old man from Blackwood was arrested on suspicion of murder.

A 22-year-old woman from Newbridge was arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.

A 27-year-old woman from the Cwmfelinfach area was arrested on suspicion of murder.

A 28-year-old man from the Cwmfelinfach area was arrested on suspicion of murder.

All eight have dates to answer bail in June.

Police’s tireless search

POLICE investigating the disappearance of Kyle Vaughan are continuing to appeal for information.

An online advertisement targeting Facebook accounts in the Gwent area was launched on March 8, appealing for information, and has already been viewed by 44,483 people.

A team of around 50 officers, including detectives from the Gwent Police Major Incident Team, Neighbourhood Policing officers and forensic experts, are still investigating the circumstances surrounding Kyle’s disappearance.

More than 1,800 pieces of property have been analysed, including more than 180 mobile phone SIM cards. About 4,800 mobile phone contacts have been investigated and more than 10,000 lines of telecoms data (such as text messages) have been analysed.

Awareness walk

FRIENDS and family of Mr Vaughan are organising a walk to raise awareness of his disappearance and re-appeal for information.

A post on the 17,000-strong ‘Missing – Kyle Vaughan’ Facebook page asks members to show their support by attending the event.

The walk will start at the Joe Calzaghe Bridge at Newbridge leisure centre on Saturday, March 30, at 2.45pm, and people are asked to wear red or the Manchester United strip.

The walk will last around 20 minutes and will end at the Newbridge Memo.

The last sighting of Mr Vaughan was on the A467 between Risca and Crosskeys, sometime between 11pm and 11.45pm on December 30.

Later that night officers found Kyle’s car – a silver Peugeot 306 – which had been involved in a collision.

Mr Vaughan’s cousin, Beckie Imm, said: “We want to remind people we are still looking for him, and that the search is ongoing.”

Under-16s need to be accompanied by an adult. All those taking part in the walk are asked to use the car park at the railway station.

COMMENT: End their suffering

THE family of Kyle Vaughan are going through the kind of trauma that no family should experience.

As his parents, Alan and Mary, tell us today, they are in the middle of a living nightmare.

There has been no trace of Kyle since he went missing 11 weeks ago. His car had been in an accident but there was no sign of the 24-year-old from Newbridge.

Police believe he is dead and have launched a murder inquiry that has so far seen eight people arrested and bailed.

The Vaughans know in their hearts that Kyle is not coming home. But they fear they may never know what has happened to him.

There is no doubt that someone – possibly someone who knows Alan and Mary Vaughan, possibly someone who is reading this now – knows what happened to Kyle.

If that person is you then we urge you to read our heartbreaking interview with Kyle’s parents and then do the right thing.

Put the Vaughan family out of their misery.

If you know what happened to Kyle, if you know where his body is, if you suspect someone you know of some involvement in his disappearance then call the police.

Alan and Mary Vaughan and the rest of their family have been through enough.

It is time they were allowed to say a proper goodbye to their son.