Mr Hughes said there were of course bit-players in this tale, but it was a two-horse race between Mr Brazier and this other man, and the latter won hands down on motive and character. In spite of the many investigations conducted, plenty of campaigning, and production of documentaries seeking a resolution, Nettles’ whereabouts still remains a mystery. [8] See also [ edit ] Theories emerged that Nettles fell into the sea following his night out, but his mother dismisses these assumptions. She is convinced he suffered at the hands of a drugs gang. She revealed that in spite of Cowes’s upscale reputation, there are people there associated in supplying others with drugs. [13]

a b c d e f g h "Damien Nettles: The boy who disappeared". BBC. 25 July 2016 . Retrieved 17 February 2022. Closing the defence case, Ignatius Hughes said many of the witnesses didn’t tell the truth, or were unwilling to, including another male, who he said murdered Mr Cooper in a characteristic outburst of explosive violence.Cordons remain in place at the junctions with Dover Street, Belvedere Street and Bennet Street – manned by officers from Portsmouth, Winchester and Andover – as investigations continue. Playing at a lower level was no real challenge for Tommy’s exceptional talents and he scored runs with ease. Numerous people who witnessed Nettles on the night of his disappearance alleged he looked as though he could’ve been heavily drunk and possibly somewhat confused. Another allegation was made that a drug dealer by the name of Bunny Iles had sold drugs to Nettles. A previous girlfriend of Nettles, Abbie Scott, revealed she believed there were some aspects of his life he was keeping secret, and went on to say it could have involved drugs, although she wasn’t entirely sure. [4] However, it wasn't possible to completely verify all witness statements from the night of Nettles’ disappearance, as some of the CCTV footage from the High Street that could've featured him, was claimed to be lost by police. [7] Cumiskey, Lucas (6 November 2021). "Sister reveals 25-year heartache after sending brother home before he vanished". Mirror . Retrieved 9 February 2022. He described Mr Brazier as a common, broken-down drug addict who barely ate or slept — not a vicious killer.

It has been claimed that Nettles’ mother has conveyed how disheartened she’d found herself, because of the police’s management of the case. Evidence ended up being mislaid, along with records failing to be kept, resulting in any possible progression of the case being hindered. The call log made to police on the night of Nettles’ disappearance no longer exists, and the records detailing which officers were on duty that night were lost. However, the case remains open. [4] Other criticisms towards the handling of the investigation include requests made to commence searches both on land and from the air, being rejected, and the error made by police who initially listed Nettles as a missing adult rather than a missing child. [8] Members of the public campaigned by protesting and participating in a march. Their aim was to convince police to dig at Parkhurst Forest and Gurnard, as claims were made that Nettles’ remains may be buried there. However, police declined this request, as they believed the claims made to them came from untrustworthy sources. [12] Our thoughts are with the man’s family today and we are working hard to understand the exact circumstances of what happened last night. On 25 July 2016, a BBC Three series, Unsolved: The Boy Who Disappeared, was broadcast about the case. [11] In her closing speech to the jury, prosecutor Joanna Martin said Mr Brazier made up lies both in police interview and during the trial, and his evidence was confusing and ever-changing. a b Munro, Bronagh (25 July 2016). "What happened to Damien Nettles? Unsolved case of teenager missing for 20 years is BBC's Making A Murderer". Mirror . Retrieved 14 February 2022.Nettles, Valerie (5 September 2019). The Boy Who Disappeared. Kings Road Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78946-093-3.