A close friend of the missing Great Yarmouth father-of-three who, it is believed, may have been murdered issued an emotional plea yesterday for anyone with information to come forward.
A close friend of the missing Great Yarmouth father-of-three who, it is believed, may have been murdered issued an emotional plea yesterday for anyone with information to come forward.
And as Richard Brookin appealed for help in finding the body of Derick Tempest or his whereabouts he spoke of the anguish of hearing his friend had probably been killed in a Yarmouth back street garage.
Mr Tempest, 30, of Nottingham Way, was last seen in the town's Blackfriars Road area on the afternoon of October 28 when he is thought to have been heading towards Hall's Garage in Camden Place.
The garage's partners James Hall, 60 and Andrew Ventham, 49, who both lived in a house in neighbouring Queen's Road, were found dead in the garage five days later on November 2. It is thought they committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning.
Mr Brookin, a fisherman, spoke of his reaction after police said on Thursday they were treating the disappearance of his friend of 17 years as a murder inquiry.
He also said that Mr Tempest's mother, Lesley, 50, and his partner Sarah Sherfield, 28, were in a still in a state of distress.
Mr Brookin, 31, said: “Even though I was expecting it, it was the news I never wanted to hear. You watch police and crime programmes on television and never think something like that will end up on your doorstep.
“For the sake of Derick's family they need to find him.”
On Thursday, police said that forensic evidence from Hall's Garage showed that Mr Tempest might have come to serious harm there leading to the launch of the murder enquiry.
Detectives are keen to trace the movements of a white van, registration T625HJW, from the garage which was seen to leave the Queen's Road area at about 7pm on the evening Mr Tempest vanished.
On Thursday, police said that one line of inquiry officers were considering was a widespread rumour that Mr Tempest had been blackmailing the two men.
Call the dedicated police investigation line on 01493 333080.
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