No sign of missing man since Saturday

Wednesday 15 January 2020

Missing man, Matthew Bourgaize hasn't used his bank account, or Facebook profile, since he was reported missing at the weekend.

The 29-year-old was responding well to treatment at the Oberlands facility at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital when it was agreed he could meet with loved ones for a visit.

It's believed he walked out of the door from the foyer at the Oberlands centre during or after that visit, at 14:50 on Saturday 11 January, and there hasn't been any confirmed sightings of him since then.

He was captured on CCTV, in the image to the right of the main picture above, wearing a distinctive long 'Parka' style jacket with a fur trimmed hood, along with light coloured jogging bottoms. Guernsey Police are appealing to everyone to keep an eye out for Mr Bourgaize and his coat, and to report anything which may be linked to the case to the investigating officers on 725111.

Acting Superintendent Clare Cuthbert gave a press conference yesterday where she confirmed Mr Bourgaize was a patient at the Oberlands, but she didn't say what he was being treated for. She confirmed he did not have any medication on him when he left the Oberlands on Saturday, but that he is on a prescription which he will now have missed a number of doses of. 

She said he was in "good form" when he was last seen. 

"I've spoken to the family and Matthew's girlfriend, who was with him just before he left and he seemed in good form, and she's surprised that he did go, and the fact that he was responding so well to his treatment, everybody is just very surprised, and now four days in are so worried for him, which is why we're seeking the assistance of his friends and family and the public to help us try and find him."

Acting Superintendent Cuthbert reiterated that Guernsey Police only want to ensure Mr Bourgaize is safe, and that he is not in any trouble with law enforcement officials. 

"It's all about his safety and wellbeing, he is not in any trouble." 

The search for Mr Bourgaize has been traced right back to the location where he was last seen, with CCTV from the hospital being checked and his believed path of travel being scoured along with door-to-door enquiries among people who know him. 

"The obvious lines of enquiry are around CCTV, so obviously the hospital grounds to get a direction of travel that he took when he left the Oberlands centre. We've been downloading that CCTV and any locations that he is known to go to, we are trawling CCTV for that and as far as door-to-door yes, not in the traditional sense because we haven't got a location as such, but what we have got is an extensive list of family and friends and associates, who are known to Matthew incase he has gone there, and those are the people we are appealing to, that Matthew needs help, and he needs his medication, and we ask those people, who may feel they are helping Matthew, but what he really needs is the security and safety of the mental health services."

Pictured: Acting Superintendent Clare Cuthbert speaking at a press conference regarding missing man Matthew Bourgaize on Tuesday. 

As well as searching for Mr Bourgaize, Guernsey Police are supporting his family, including his mum and his girlfriend. Acting Superintendent Cuthbert has been personally involved. 

"I've spoken personally to the family today, and we have offered some specialist support but at this stage they're not feeling that they require that. We have officers in constant contact with both his girlfriend and mum, who is obviously traumatised by what is going on and particularly her appeal, and his girlfriend's appeal is to those friends who think they might be doing him a favour to actually make sure he is brought home safe and well."

Guernsey Police have released three images of Matthew Bourgaize as the search for him continues. 

Pictured top: Matthew Bourgaize.