The mum of missing student Jack O’Sullivan has released new pictures of him leaving for university as the search for him continues. Jack’s mum, Catherine O’Sullivan she is remaining hopeful that her son can be found more than six months after his vanished.

The 23-year-old went missing back in March after a night out in Bristol. He was last seen at 3.15am on Saturday, March 2 near Brunel Lock Road.

Emergency services have issued a number of appeals and carried out extensive searches in an attempt to locate Jack. Despite the efforts from Jack’s family, the public and emergency services, there has been no significant breakthrough in the hunt for Jack.

Catherine opened up about her son’s dream to become a lawyer, sharing an image of a hopeful Jack as he left for university, despite the difficulties presented by the Covid pandemic.

In the picture, Jack is stood outside their home in Flax Bourton, waving goodbye in September 2020. His mother said: “Feeling sad. Jack off to uni. I just wish it was under better circumstances but fingers crossed all goes well. Feeling like I’ve lost a limb tonight.”

After graduating from the University of Exeter in July 2023 with a History degree, Jack looked forward to a career in law and was undertaking a law conversion course in Bristol. His disappearance came as a shock to his family, particularly as Catherine said he was in ‘the best place he had ever been’ at the time, and they had just received his promising law exam results not long before he went missing.

Jack O'Sullivan (third left) has been missing for over six months
Jack O’Sullivan (third left) has been missing for over six months (Image: Courtesy Catherine O’Sullivan / SWNS)

Following her son, Catherine, 52, said: “Outwardly people think Jack is very quiet and shy but at home he was a completely different character. He’s very kind and very caring and really close to his brother.

“He is really clever – but he is also very determined to achieve and wants to do well. He is desperate to become a lawyer.

“He can be quite stubborn and determined when he wants. If he couldn’t get somewhere he would decide to walk it and not be phased by it.

“We are so close as a family and would be in contact all the time – throughout the night he went missing he was still checking in and saying what time he was going to get home.

“His ambition has been to do a law conversion course in Bristol. He was in a good place and had done his exams two weeks before he went missing.

“The law school sent us his result and he did really well. He was in the best place so far in his life. That’s why nothing adds up in terms of how unjust this all is.”