Nicola Bulley's partner describes moment he first realised something was wrong
11.02.2023 - 12:51
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
The partner of Nicola Bulley has recalled the moment he realised something was badly wrong as the search enters its third week.
Paul Ansell spoke to Channel 5's Dan Walker in an extended interview and talked about the “anger,” “confusion” and “utter disbelief” that he has endured since Nicola vanished on January 27.
Paul explained that when Nicola takes the kids on the school run, he usually gets an “hour to myself” when he can make a cup of tea before his partner would return, reported the Daily Mirror.
He said: “She’s usually back at 9.45 [on average], 10am at a push. I got into the office at 10 saying: ‘She’ll be back in a minute.’ I was doing some emails, setting my day up… it got to say, 10.15 and I thought ‘she’s later than usual’ but I wasn’t particularly worried because she has come back at 10.15, 10.20 sometimes… it’s not often but she has got back [then].”
Cops say the last sighting of the mum was at around 9.10am, and her phone was found on a bench at 9.20, still connected to a work call.
Paul added: “It got to 10.30 and that’s when I thought: ‘She’s quite late now, more late than usual.’ I tried ringing her phone, ringing her on WhatsApp … no answer. I started to get a bit panicky, I think.
“That’s when I thought: ‘I’m gonna have to go down there, see if she’s alright. I still expected to see her there.'”
He described getting ready to go to the gym as he normally would as he planned to check on her on the way - but then his phone rang and it was the kids’ school saying Nicola’s phone and Willow had been found.
He said: “In an instant it’s like your whole… I knew straight away that it wasn’t normal. I said: ‘Well where is she?’ I knew she would never in a million years leave Willow. Willow is like our third