Fears: Missing man Barry Corcoran
The brother of a man who went missing in Dublin nearly two weeks ago and is feared by gardai to have been murdered has pleaded for anyone with information about him to come forward.
Barry Corcoran (38), a native of Wicklow town, had been to a party in the capital on Monday July 6 and had told a friend he would be home the following day.
But he never made it back and now gardai fear that he has fallen foul of a crime gang and has been killed and dumped somewhere.
Last night sources revealed that gardai were working on the theory that Mr Corcoran had been killed by a Dublin-based crime gang.
"Whether it is good or bad, we need to know. We need this to end," Barry's brother William told the Herald.
"We don't know whether we're coming or going. We have no clues but I fear something terrible has happened," he added.
William, who shares a house with Barry in the Ocean View estate on the outskirts of Wicklow town, said that the family is terrified about what may have happened.
"I'm getting hardly any sleep at this stage with the worry, and not knowing what happened to Barry is too much," he said.
Mr Corcoran is not considered a major criminal but he has had a number of brushes with the law, related to his drug addiction.
However, these are for mostly minor breaches, such as driving offences and public order matters.
A typical offence happened in May, 2011, when he was charged with entering a building with the intention of committing an offence at the Vale View Hotel, Avoca on April 19, 2011.
He pleaded guilty to the charge and the court heard evidence from Sgt Brendan Hobbs who said Corcoran was seen on the flat roof of the Vale View Hotel.
He said he had been looking for scrap. The court heard the hotel was derelict and Mr Corcoran was bound to the peace for the offence.
The missing man is not connected to a Co Wicklow gang boss who is a suspect in a spate of gang-related crime over the past two years.
There has been no trace of the father-of-one since he was last seen in Dublin on July 6.
He is 5 foot 1 inches in height and of medium build with grey hair.
When last seen he was wearing dark jeans, black Puma runners and a light blue mac.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Gardai in Wicklow or the Garda Confidential line on 1800 666111.
Conor Feehan and Ken Foy