UK UK - Martin Kelly, 21, Holywood, 1 January 2006

[HayLouise]

Martin Kelly

Martin, who is about 6ft 1in tall of slim build with short dark hair, was wearing a black ‘Guinness’ t-shirt and blue jeans when he was last seen around 7pm on 01/01/2006.

Police in South Belfast are growing increasingly concerned for the welfare of 21-year-old Martin Kelly from Kinnegar Drive, Holywood, who was last seen by friends at a bar in Garmoyle Street in South Belfast on New Year’s Day.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at Musgrave Street on 101 Non Emergency Number..

Further information and pictures are available from www.ourmartykelly.com

Martin Kelly

 

[HayLouise]

Dad of missing Holywood man fears his son was murdered

Raymond Kelly believes two women overheard the murder plot in a pub hours before son Martin died on New Year's Day 2006

The father of a man who vanished on New Year’s Day 11 years ago fears his son was murdered.

Raymond Kelly believes two women overheard the men he suspects of plotting Martin Kelly’s death in a Co Down bar.

Raymond wants both women to come forward and tell him what they know and what they heard hours before his son’s death.

In the 24 hours before his disappearance, he had been working in the Priory bar in Holywood, Co Down, before staying for drinks.

He later attended two parties in the town before heading to Belfast on New Year’s Day 2006 at around 2pm to watch a football match with pals in the dockside pub.

Martin was last seen leaving the venue alone at around 7.30pm and although his father believes him to be dead, his body has never been recovered.

Dad of missing Holywood man fears his son was murdered

 

[HayLouise]

More:

Raymond said a time-line of the two hours before he vanished is pitted with questions and queries.

He believes Martin:

• Took possession of a friend’s phone after the battery on his own failed
• Did not make any calls on the borrowed device
• Refused to join his friends in a taxi ride from Pat’s Bar to Holywood,
• Stayed in Pat’s Bar alone
• Accepted the offer of a lift to Holywood from two locals
• Answered a phone call on the borrowed phone, and
• Fled seconds later out of a side door of the bar to the docks area.

Raymond said: “The details of that phone call are essential to find out exactly what happened to Martin.

“His friends have never revealed to me what happened that night or who made the phone call to that borrowed phone.

Dad of missing Holywood man fears his son was murdered

 

[HayLouise]

“I believe someone alerted him to danger on the borrowed phone and within seconds of that call he was off trying to find safety but walking to his death.

“I believe my son thought he was being hunted down and those two girls in the Priory Bar overheard the plans and saw who was making the claims. These women have never been questioned by the police.

“After refusing to get into the taxi with his friends, he went back into Pat’s Bar.

“He accepted the offer of a lift with two Holywood men but he took a short phone call on the borrowed phone and slipped away.

“Instead of going past the two blokes who’d offered him the lift, he clambered over a lot of stuff stored at a side entrance that was closed to the public and lifted a big metal bar to get out that door.

“Then he walked straight to Belfast Harbour walkway. On the CCTV footage he looked nervous, agitated.

“I believe someone was after him and he was too scared to go home.

“After what those two women said about the men discussing Martin, I believe they need to be questioned about his death but they have never come forward to the police and the PSNI have never sought them out.”

Dad of missing Holywood man fears his son was murdered

 

[HayLouise]

The ladies Raymond wants to talk to where socialising in the Priory as Martin finished his shift and started drinking with friends on New Year’s Eve.

Just days after his disappearance, both women, who were not from Holywood, went to St Colmcille’s church in the town where they sat for a lengthy period of time saying prayers for Martin.

Raymond said: “They were upset and alone in that church apart from a gentleman who works there.

“They got talking and the women said they were praying for Martin and explained they thought he might have been hurt or killed because they’d overheard two men talking about him in the bar.

“The girls claimed the men said they were going to get Martin, they were going to do him in. That can only mean one thing.

“So at the time we thought Martin was missing but these girls believed he was dead and sadly they were right.”

Dad of missing Holywood man fears his son was murdered

 

[HayLouise]

Details of the women’s claims were repeated to CID officers who interviewed the man in the church and the police later confirmed to Raymond they believed the details of the claims to be accurate.

Today Raymond thinks he has finally tracked down the women but he wants them to reach out to him first.

He said: “I don’t want them to be scared of speaking to me. They’ve done nothing illegal.

“Martin is not currently being treated as a murder victim but as a missing person.

“I understand they were probably frightened by what they overheard and then what later transpired – but they should not be afraid of the truth.

“In the 4,000 days since I had hope Martin was still alive and today, I’ve done my own work, carried out my own investigation and found out a lot that makes an almost complete picture but there are still questions to be answered.

Dad of missing Holywood man fears his son was murdered

 

[HayLouise]

“Who was involved with my son’s last moments alive? Who wanted to harm him and why? I have to finish this. Neither Martin nor I have been people to walk away from unfinished business and I feel he’d be glad I’m still fighting to get the answers, to have the truth delivered at last.

“Given his physical and emotional state on the night he died, I believe he was pushed into the water, injured or otherwise, at Clarendon Dock by one or two others, or he was so scared of them he stepped into the water in the hope of escaping.

“Martin is still officially a missing person and we need to bring this situation to a conclusion for everyone’s sake. I’m not looking for comfort, just for the truth. I believe my son’s body lies in those deep, dark, dangerous waters of Belfast Harbour and he will probably remain in the silt there forever.

“I believe Martin lies dead in the harbour because of his fear of other people who were out to hurt him – and I believe these other people are still out there.

“The two women who overheard the conversation in the Priory bar hold the final clue to what happened to my son.”

Anyone with information about Martin’s disappearance can contact police on 101, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Dad of missing Holywood man fears his son was murdered

BBM

 

[imstilla.grandma]

In June, an anonymous person made a call to the Missing People national helpline with fresh information.

Raymond Kelly appealed to whoever rang the helpline "to please ring again and give more detail".

"I want to finally find out the truth," he said. "I just want to keep this going."

Mr Kelly will visit the docks, where Martin was last seen, on the anniversary of his son's disappearance.
...
Detective Inspector Keith Wilson said officers want to speak to some people who came into contact with Martin in the days before he disappeared.

"This includes a middle aged couple who were in the company of an elderly female in Pat's Bar for a short time on the evening of Sunday, January 1 2006," he said.

"They would also like to speak to a female who may have spoken to and exchanged phone numbers with Martin Kelly in the Priory Inn, Holywood, on the evening of Saturday, December 31 2005."

He urged anyone with information to contact police on 101 or Missing People on 116 000.
Martin Kelly: Father makes fresh appeal ahead of 15th anniversary of son's disappearance

 

[imstilla.grandma]

His dad Raymond told Belfast Live: "People think Martin came out of that bar in 2006 around 7 o'clock and the probability is that he went into Belfast Harbour.

"He never got into any of the taxis - one crowd thought he was in one taxi and the other crowd thought he was in the other taxi. When they got to Holywood they found that Martin wasn't in any of the taxis.

"He left the pub... but Martin appeared back in that bar about 15 minutes later... he got a pint and then two fellas from Holywood offered him a lift home and they said he accepted the lift.

When he finished his pint he went to the toilet and if he wanted to get out of Pat's bar he would have had to walk by those fellas that offered him the lift but he went to the other end of the bar, moved tables and chairs and took the snibs down on the doors and opened the Clarendon Dock [exit] - and that was picked up on CCTV. "He didn't just leave the bar and disappear. He left the bar and came back into the bar."

"The camera picked him up there and then the interlink camera picked him up heading towards the walkaway towards the other side of the Odyssey," he explained.

"That was the last time any cameras picked him up when he went towards that point.. on the walkway close to the harbour.

"There is no other camera footage of him seen in Belfast Harbour or in any location at all."
Missing Martin Kelly's dad makes plea after anonymous tip in June 2020

 

[StillDiggin]

Tell me what you know, pleads dad of Co Down man missing since 2006

The father of missing man Martin Kelly has urged those who know what happened to his son to “bite the bullet” and get it off their chest.

www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk