Annabel Grossman
THE family of missing Amy Fitzpatrick has relaunched an appeal for information on the teenager’s disappearance.
The news comes as Spanish police vowed to extradite any suspects from Ireland, following the fatal stabbing of Amy’s brother by their mother’s partner Dave Mahon.
Dean – the brother of La Cala resident Amy who went missing aged 15 in 2008 – was taken to hospital but pronounced dead a short time later.
Mahon, a former Calahonda estate agent, has admitted stabbing Dean outside the Dublin flat he shares with Amy’s mother Audrey, but claims it was self defence.
Amy and Dean’s aunt, Christine Kenny, who worked closely with us to investigate Amy’s disappearance in 2008, told the Olive Press: “It is urgent now that people come forward to discover once and for all what happened to Amy.
“If there is anybody in Spain who knows, who was perhaps too scared to talk before, well please ring us… there shouldn’t be any fear now.”
After an extensive investigation in 2011, the Olive Press published an in-depth profile on the tragic teenager in the months after she disappeared on New Year’s Day in 2008.
It served as a damning indictment of her mother and Mahon, with sources telling the paper she had been neglected and was not happy at home.
It emerged she had not been attending school and had sometimes been living rough near the family home.
We can now reveal she had even been working in a local bar.
“This poor child is still missing,” added the heartbroken aunt who hopes Dean’s death may lead to more information on his sister.
“The Olive Press did a great job in shining some proper light on the case back then and now let’s hope you can do it again.”
A detective who has been investigating the case for five years revealed last night that Amy’s mobile phone could be the key to the case.
Liam Brady said: “We know from her friends that she had her mobile phone on the night she went missing, but that same mobile phone turned up in her mother’s hands on a TV show in Ireland five months later.
“Neither Audrey nor Dave have ever explained why or how that is.”
“We also understand she had another phone that was smashed a few weeks earlier by Audrey’s partner.”
He continued: “We are very disappointed that the Irish authorities have not officially opened a proper investigation into the case despite promises.”
However, this week a Guardia Civil spokesman stated that officers are not only prepared to travel to Ireland, but will also apply to extradite any suspects identified.
“Police in Spain are aware of Dean’s death. They have been in touch with gardai and are co-coordinating with them,” added the spokesman.
It has also emerged that in days leading to Dean’s death, the pair’s father, Christopher Fitzpatrick, believed his son was about to share new information on his sister’s disappearance.
Amy, 15, was last seen after visiting childhood friend Ashley Rose.
Rose, who lived just 10 minutes away, said this week: “It was someone out there who knew her, that’s my opinion.
“I know Amy’s dead. I don’t hold on to any hope of ever finding her alive.
“We all had someone on our radar at the time and that hasn’t changed over the years,” she added.
Irish police confirmed Mahon, 42, is still a suspect and they are preparing a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Audrey Fitzpatrick, who has continued her relationship with Mahon, did not attend her son’s funeral last week.
Fitzpatrick told the Irish press she ‘wasn’t feeling well’ but was later pictured waiting for a taxi with Mahon.
Although Amy’s devastated father was unable to talk, his sister Christine Kenny added: “There has never been any evidence to say that Amy has passed away, or that she is alive.
“A team of Irish investigators should be in Spain with the Guardia Civil, we need a fresh mind and fresh eyes on this and for people to come forward,” added Kenny.
As one former neighbour of the family told us last night: “There is quite a lot more that could come out. Plenty of neighbours heard and saw plenty of stuff.”
Anyone with information on Amy has been urged to contact Christopher and Christine at www.searchforamy.com, liam@liamabrady.ie, or email newsdesk@theolivepress.es 00353 87 2566697
Olive Press – I remember you did a lot of work on this at the time, and got into bother with the step-father for saying what you did. Little clues like the mobile phone are going to be the key to this.
For me one of the main clues in the case is the contractment of Metodo 3. Their main objective seems to be to create sightings of “missing” people, to throw in the odd extortion and to make laptops and phones disappear.
If you check the Madeleine McCann case you will find almost duplicate actions as soon as they were employed.
Surely that should be enough, her mobile phone turned up AT HER HOME?? The mother had the phone in her hand, what is that all about?? Amy had the same phone at her friends house?? Important documents MYSTERIOUSLY disappear?? ALL very suspect, don’t understand why people are getting away with this…….
Johanna. They also employed Clarence Mitchell – whose proud boast is that he “controls what goes out in the newspapers”. Obviously not the Olive Press, as we remember the criticism from the family about what was printed at the time. I wonder how much more theOP found, which could not be printed !
personally, i think amy GOT HOME! why are people getting away with this! and to take back a man that killed her son … if she can forgive him once, she can forgive him twice! shame on the mother for letting this happen
The mobile phone “evidence” if correct would certainly support that view. Pesky things mobile phones. They retain a memory of who you have ruing, who has rung you and where you were every ten minutes.
Perhaps some of the good people of Calahonda / Riviera would like to come forward now …. you know the ones , the scared ones who were terrified to speak for fear of repercussions .
louielou, if you know someone who knows more you should tell the private investigator, its all confidential xx let’s look at the facts though, I think they speak for themselves!
1. amy had her phone with her at her friends house
2. the phone was found in her bedroom (hmmm!)
3. the parents had been out all night the previous night, all day on the day amy went missing and according to audrey, she was in bed by 9.30. 30 mins before amy would have arrived home!
4. its a well known fact that after spending 48 hours out on the town, audery will be sleeping like a log within 10 minutes, in fact i imagine nothing could wake her!
5. stepdad controls the house, has the whole night to cover ‘fix’ any problems! ..
6. 3 days to report your daughter missing … shame on you!
7. sending police looking in area’s , blaming her death on other people … yet still collecting for a find amy fund!
8. stepdad convinces mother to forgive him in less that 24 hours …… after killing her son!
Ian bradey and myra hindley did a better cover up! what are the police doing!
Mobile phone numbers and text messages are only kept for 5 years
Hi all, I interviewed Audrey on many occasions about Amy going missing and she often changed her story saying at one point that amy had left the home and was sleeping ruff and when questioned about this with me saying you let you’re child who’s young and vulnerable sleep ruff she then replied “no I never said that ” I have the interviews recorded and she clearly says it then tells me I’m putting words in her mouth. Ifeel for dean he knew something and he was stopped from telling us where amy is. I have studied many case’s and I think that Audrey is scared to say anything I’m going to be handing my recordings to the dpp hopefully some light is going to be shed on this now.
N.b sorry for my poor grammar and spelling in rush and using my phone.