THE mum of a student who vanished six months ago has slammed Apple for refusing to provide data which could solve the mystery.
Jack O’Sullivan, 23, went missing after leaving a house party in Bristol at 3am on March 2.
Hours before he disappeared, Jack showed his mum Catherine how he had attached an Apple AirTag to his car keys.
The law conversion student boarded a bus for the party with the “fully functioning” tracking device in his pocket.
Catherine messaged him at around 1am asking if he wanted a lift home from a house party in the Hotwells neighbourhood.
Jack said he was fine and would get a taxi home – before vanishing just hours later.
Six months on, Catherine believes data from the AirTag could solve the mystery of Jack’s disappearance.
But the mum said cops told her they couldn’t access the tracker because of privacy laws.
She told the Mail: “We just thought that’s ridiculous. We asked a legal friend of ours and they said, ‘No that’s rubbish’.”
The family pressed cops only to be told the AirTag was not transmitting data because its battery was flat.
But Catherine dismissed the claim, pointing out the AirTag had been charged before Jack went out at 6pm.
She said Apple experts told her the AirTag would send a phone notification even if its battery actually was running low.
But cops then claimed the AirTag had not been set up correctly and had not been registered.
Catherine said: “We were going around on this ridiculous circle of not getting anywhere.”
Last month cops said they could not access the AirTag data because the tracker had been registered to an account owned by Jack’s ex.
But last weekend Jack’s ex confirmed to Catherine that this was not the case.
Catherine blasted cops for failing to give her a “straight answer” over the AirTag mystery.
The mum approached Apple directly but says she was told it was “difficult with privacy laws to give out information”.
She said: “We’re just trying to get to the bottom of it, because to me, this is such an important thing.
“And I know it was working so where on earth is it? That’s what we want clarity on.”
Apple has been contacted for comment.
Cops said more than 20 different teams and departments have been involved in the probe into Jack’s disappearance.
A spokesperson said more than 100 hours of CCTV have been reviewed.
They added that cops have carried out 200 hours of searches on the River Avon and the surrounding banks along with 40 land searches.
Cops have received almost 100 calls from the public with possible sightings, and eight media appeals have been issued.
Assistant Chief Constable Joanne Hall said: “Our staff and officers remain committed to doing everything we can to find Jack.
“We do not underestimate what a distressing time this has been, and continues to be, for his family.
“When I look at missing persons investigations in Avon and Somerset over the last year, we’ve had around 5,500.
“Missing people are somebody’s loved ones, they’re somebody’s family, and we don’t close the door on that.”
The force has renewed its appeal for witnesses and said it will update Jack’s family when the case is closed.
These were Jack O'Sullivan's movements on the night of March 1-2.
