Gary Patterson: The brother of a man missing for more than three months is pleading for help

Simon Patterson is appealing for as many people as possible to get involved in a new search for the 45-year-old, due to take place this weekend, and is desperate for information.

“Please, please, please – the smallest thing can lead to something big,” he told the Belfast Telegraph.

“We just pray to God that he finds himself safe and sound.

“Everyone, please. Someone must have seen Gary.’

The search for missing Gary Patterson was last seen in Larne three months ago

A number of searches have been carried out in the area, including rivers, since Mr Patterson was last seen at a cash machine outside a Tesco Express at 10.30am on Saturday 12 October.

“It’s a complete mystery,” Simon said.

“The only place Harry was happy was in Larne. He felt comfortable there.

“I don’t see why he left Larn unless he was forced to go somewhere else.”

Simon said it was still unclear where the next search would focus, with “several potential sightings” reported in Belfast.

“At the moment, we cannot rule anything out at all,” he added.

Last image Mr. Patterson was recorded on CCTV and shows him walking down the stairs after leaving his flat in Priory Gardens.

“Gary is a very quiet person, a bit of a loner,” his distraught brother explained.

“He had his own little apartment and it was his pride and joy…Gary had his own routine.

“On a typical day at 4:00 p.m., Gary wanted to go back to his apartment because he felt safe.”

Simon said his brother lived in a city that had been his “bubble” for more than a decade.

He told this newspaper that his own instinct led him to believe that his brother had left town; however, there were no confirmed sightings and checks at the local port did not lead to the 45-year-old man boarding the ferry.

“(Gary) was a very quiet guy who kept to himself … (He) didn’t hurt anybody,” Simon added.

“(People would say he was) a nice guy who was fun to talk to…Gary never used alcohol or drugs. He had no bad habits.”

Simon said his brother liked to frequent the shops Larneincluding charity shops, and was a keen DVD collector.

Mr Patterson was wearing a distinctive yellow and black checkered jacket, blue jeans, walking boots and a dark beanie hat.

A Facebook page called “Lets Find Gary” has been created to update information about the search and information about the missing person.

Police made numerous appeals after Patterson was reported missing on December 20 after he failed to show up for an optician’s appointment.

A PSNI spokesman said the missing man was linked to the Larne and Belfast areas and described him as having dark hair and a bushy mustache when he was last seen.

Cheryl Brownlee, the DUP’s law enforcement member, appealed to anyone with information to contact detectives in the chamber at Stormont on Monday.