Just my two pence worth...
Do I think he was waiting? No. Maybe his initial plan was to wait for his friends and then get a taxi together but then I think while waiting and after eating, he probably did fall asleep like his mum has said. Why? because I don't see any 'evidence' to suggest that he was waiting to meet 'someone else'.
He woke up - sent a picture to friend/brother. I think he realised he'd missed his friends by then and would have to somehow find his own way home.
We then have 20ish minutes 'wait' before CCTV 2. But was he waiting? maybe he simply sat and ate any food he hadn't finished earlier. I've got 4 sons and they will happily eat cold Kebab as quick as they would a hot one. My oldest will even save it for breakfast (disgusting I know).
Do we know if he smoked? if he did, he could just have easily decided to have a smoke before started off for home.
Maybe he was having a nice long pee there or puking his guts up.
My point is, he could have been 'waiting' for any number of reasons, that are likely to me, than a gay hook up.
On CCTV 2, he definitely does not look like he needs a pee to me. All of my sons (husband too) have their hands to the ready as soon as they even
think about peeing. They don't have them tucked in their pockets as they slowly saunter towards their planned pee patch.
I don't think he was planning on catching a lift home from someone parked in the horseshoe area. He walks to the left of the path
and appears as if he is going to turn left into Short Brackland Street. If I was expecting meet someone in the Horseshoe area, I don't believe
I would walk on the left, look like I'm going to turn left, suddenly stop, look around me, put my head down and then sheepishly wonder
into that area. In my opinion his body language just doesn't match that scenario.
I thought back when the CCTV was first released that he looked like what perhaps caught his eye, was the bike rack. When I was his age,
If I knew I'd got a 8/9 mile walk home and came across a bike rack, I'd have checked to see if one was unlocked - only when drunk obviously (and I only did it the once).
The question remains, what happened in that Horseshoe? He obviously didn't nick a bike and cycle home!
For me, the man in the dark clothing holds they key IF it is true that he left that area shortly after Corrie arrived. Whilst he didn't walk out of there with Corrie tucked up his jumper, he would know what was happening in that area at that time and who else was there.
The CCTV of Corrie is very clear, if the same camera captured the 'person in dark clothing' I'd expect it to be equally clear. To me, the strangest thing is that so far they haven't released the image of this person (hopefully they will this week). Even with a hood up I'd hope someone might recognise them.
If, that person, is potentially the last person to see Corrie, then surely the priority is to identify that person....and in turn anyone they were with that night that might have had a vehicle parked in the horseshoe area.