Damilola Taylor detective urges boyfriend of British woman who vanished from yacht to speak to police

Sarm Heslop vanished from her American boyfriend Ryan Bane’s 47-foot luxury catamaran in the US Virgin Islands in 2021

A former detective has urged the boyfriend and person of interest in the disappearance of a British woman in the Caribbean to come forward so he can be interviewed by the police.

Sarm Heslop, 41, vanished from her American boyfriend Ryan Bane’s 47-foot luxury catamaran Siren Song on 8 March 2021.

The former flight attendant was last seen boarding Mr Bane’s boat, where she had been working as a chef after the couple matched on Tinder eight months earlier.

Sarm Heslop pictured relaxing in the Caribbean days before vanishing (Find Sarm)

They had been out for dinner at the bar 420 to Center on St John before returning to the £500,000 catamaran.

Sarm Heslop’s mother Brenda Street has spoken of how she believes her daughter was murdered but does not accuse Mr Bane of having any part in her daughter’s death.

It has now emerged that Mr Bane blocked Ms Street 48 hours after telling her was doing everything he could to find her off the coast of St John in the US Virgin Islands, the former detective looking into the case says. There has been no direct contact since.

Mr Bane, who has always denied any wrongdoing, failed to allow a forensic search of his yacht, a US Defense Department report on the initial call-out states. The Virgin Islands Police Department has also previously appealed for Mr Bane to get in contact with them to help with the investigation.

Ms Heslop vanished nearly three years ago (Find Sarm)

Retired Scotland Yard David Johnston said he made himself available to the family pro bono after seeing her parents mark the one-year anniversary of her disappearance on television.

He said: “You have a family who have a daughter who is going about her life and suddenly disappears. I always thought she was probably dead but the family needed to come to that conclusion themselves.

“The emphasis has really moved on from ‘Find Sarm’ to ‘Justice For Sarm’. Because after three years their lovely daughter would never have kept herself away from the family. If she’s not back then something happened to her preventing her from coming back.”

Between 2004 and 2008 Mr Johnston was the Metropolitan Police’s head of homicide and serious crime, in which capacity he led the Damilola Taylor and the Torso in the Thames investigations.

Former detective David Johnston led the Damilola Taylor case (Supplied)

He said: “The family need closure on this and the only way that can happen, in my view, is for the last person to have seen her alive Ryan Bane to give a full account of what happened on the boat and to submit his boat for forensic investigation. The family needs to know what he knows.”

He described the search for Sarm as “pathetic, unprofessional and underwhelming” but said he could be arrested for harassment if he approached Bane who recently spotted walking free in the gym in his home state of Michigan.

Mr Johnston added: “He was literally and metaphorically allowed to sail off into the sunset. He blocked Sarm’s mother on WhatsApp and social media just two days after. He’s done nothing to assist the family and this is a man who claimed to very much care about their daughter.

“I would ask him to speak to the authorities and give a full account of what happened on the boat that evening.

“He needs to surrender his mobile devices, phone records and social media so authorities can examine any contact he might have had before or immediately after her disappearance.”

Damilola Taylor was found bleeding to death in a stairwell near his home in Peckham in 2000 (PA)

In his defence at the time of her initial disappearance, Mr Bane said the couple watched Netflix and fell asleep. He called 911 at about 2.35am the next morning, told police that he had been woken by the anchor alarm and went to investigate and realised that she was missing. Ms Heslop’s wallet, passport and phone had been left on board, and he said she might have fallen overboard.

“He was the last person to see her alive, he reported her missing at 2.30am but he refused the coastguard access to his boat when they came alongside,” Mr Johstone added. “My first action would be to interview him under caution.

“How did Sarm disappear off his boat in calm waters, in a sheltered bay 500ft from shore. She is a strong swimmer, a fit girl. The chances of her having slipped, fallen in and banged her head and died without him being aware of it are complete fantasy.”

Ryan Bane was photographed at his Michigan gym by a member of his ex-wife’s family (Find Sarm)

Ms Heslop’s family has written to foreign secretary David Cameron to become involved and put pressure on the US Virgin Islands to have her case properly investigated.

Mr Bane’s lawyer David Cattie said: “Mr Bane is heartbroken over Sarm’s disappearance. We certainly understand and empathise with her mother’s pain and frustration.

“Mr Bane called 911 immediately upon waking and finding Sarm was not on board. He took his dinghy to shore to meet with VIPD that night and called the USCG the next day when no one appeared at his boat. He also had the USCG on his vessel twice following Sarm’s disappearance. Later Mr Bane and I personally took all of Sarm’s belongings to the police, including all of her electronic devices.”

The Foreign Office has been approached for comment.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Sarm is urged to call Crime Stoppers USVI at (800) 222-TIPS