False Imprisonment of Brook Pickard

The Gardaí at Killarney Garda Station are investigating the disappearance of Charles Brooke Pickard who is missing from his home at Behaghane, a townland on the Iveragh Peninsula near Sneem, Co.Kerry since Friday 26th April 1991.

Brooke lived here with his wife Penny and four children, their house is situated 3.5km from Castlecove and 6km from Caherdaniel. He was originally from Leeds in the United Kingdom but set up home here with his family. On that Friday morning he left home at 10.30am with a view to calling to a neighbour to collect turf but he never arrived. He was wearing blue overalls, brown boots with yellow laces and a wristwatch with a silver bracelet strap. He was driving his blue Ford Transit van registration number YNP231W.

A number of witnesses in the area recall seeing Brooke travelling on the Castlecove road towards Sneem. A witness observed Brook’s van proceed down a slipway towards White Strand. As Brooke parked his van, a male wearing a balaclava came running from the bushes behind Brooke’s van. This man appeared to be beckoning as if there was somebody coming behind him.

Gardaí believe there was a struggle here between Brooke and a number of men and Brooke was abducted and transported from this location in his own van to an unknown area.

Brooke’s van was observed driving at speed from the Castlecove direction towards Caherdanial.

Penny reported Brooke missing the following day and an investigation was launched by local Gardaí. Brooke’s van was discovered destroyed by fire in a State Forest at Shronaloughnane on the 16th May 1991. Shronaloughnane is a location close to the road leading to the Ballaghosheen Pass from the Caherciveen to Sneem road.

Appeal:

• Twenty five years on Gardaí are appealing to anyone with information about the disappearance and abduction of Brooke to come forward.

• Gardaí are appealing to landowners in the area that may have recovered tools such as shovals, spades, pick axes on their land at the time of Brooke’s disappearance to come forward.

• Brooke’s van was recovered at Shronaloughnane, Gardaí are appealing to farmers in the area that may have seen suspicious activating on the morning of Friday 26th April 1991 to come forward. 

Gardaí at Killarney Garda Station are investigating, Telephone 064 6671160