Leicester Mercury:McCanns take legal action against ex-solicitor over Madeleine slurs

http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/McCanns-legal-action-ex-solicitor-Madeleine-slurs/story-15087257-detail/story.html

A former solicitor could be jailed for repeatedly accusing Kate and Gerry McCann of covering up the 'death' of their daughter Madeleine.

Lawyers for the Rothley couple are taking civil action against Tony Bennett to try to stop him making allegations that they were involved in Madeleine's disappearance from the Portuguese resort of Praia de Luz in May 2007.

Mr Bennett is secretary of an organisation called the Madeleine Foundation, which repeatedly claimed the three-year-old was not abducted.

The 64-year-old, of Harlow, Essex, signed a High Court agreement in November 2009, to say he would not persist with his accusations.

Court papers say: "The Defendant (Mr Bennett) undertakes not to repeat allegations that the Claimants (The McCanns) are guilty of, or are suspected of, causing the death of their daughter Madeleine McCann: and/or disposing of her body and/or of lying about what happened and/or of seeking to cover up what they had done."

Mr Bennett is accused of being in contempt of court for breaching the agreement in leaflets, books and internet postings.

There will be a hearing at The Queen's Bench Division of the High Court in London next week.

The McCann's spokesman Clarence Mitchell yesterday told the Leicester Mercury: "The matter is in hand with Kate and Gerry's lawyers. It has been pretty distressing for them.

"He has accused them of lying and that is a prima facie libel.

"Kate and Gerry do not want this but he (Mr Bennett) has persisted with making hurtful and untrue allegations about them and they want it to stop.

"They feel enough is enough.

"It is the case that he could face jail."

Madeleine's parents were considered suspects in her disappearance by Portuguese police in the early stages of the investigation, but were subsequently completely cleared of any wrongdoing.

In 2007, Mr Bennett launched a private prosecution against the McCanns, alleging child neglect, but it was thrown out by magistrates. In summer 2009, the Madeleine Foundation delivered leaflets around Rothley relating to the youngster's disappearance.

Mr Bennett was unavailable to comment yesterday.

In a story about his prosecution in the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Bennett said: "I have done my best to comply with the undertaking but I would argue to the courts it was an unreasonably wide undertaking to sign.

"In the last two years, I have not written specifically about the details of how she (Madeleine) might have died or how the body was hidden.

"Three of my colleagues in the Madeleine Foundation distributed a small quantity of leaflets in Rothley. I would honestly say perhaps that was a leaflet distribution too far."

He added on the Madeleine Foundation website: "It will be a strange thing if the court decides that in this land noted for its commitment to free speech, I am not allowed to discuss what is freely available to be distributed, and debated, in most of the rest of Europe.''

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Yes, it's always a clever idea to tell the judge you are going to face what he should do.

NOT.

Mr Bennett was unavailable to comment yesterday.

Good Heavens. Has the sun risen in the West?

Very telling. But it was Monday. How many days to go now? He obviously doesn't want to drop himself in any more shite before his big day.

Well, he's just surfaced on his forum, Sabot, but only to post a link to that story; no sign - so far - of the usual 10,000 word epistle.

Frankly, I think he has left it way, way too late to start attempting to behave, Sabot. Attacking the McCanns again at the weekend, and lecturing the judge about law, really was not the cleverest thing to do.

Oh dear, desperate barrel-scraping:

I have visited another forum and I came across part of a statement that was made by the Assistant Chief Constable of the Leicestershire Police Force. He said " While both or one of them may be innocent, there is no clear evidence that eliminates them from involvement in Madeleine's disappearance."

I wonder if the McCanns sued the A.C.C. of L.P.F. for making that statement? If Tony Bennett or his lawyer, could get hold of a copy of this statement, it could just help Mr Bennett, when his case comes to court. Or am I reading too much into ths?

Why on earth would the McCanns 'sue' over that? The only reason it saw the light of day was that Kate mentioned it in her book.

I hate to dash all those forker fantasies, BUT


HE MADE THE STATEMENT BEFORE THE MCCANNS WERE CLEARED

with reference to the strict legal situation - which is, of course, completely different now.

Do feel free to quote Kate in court, though

It seems to me that he is thoroughly enjoying it all. But lets face it, The Telegraph and a Portuguese Tabloid knock that Leicester Rag into a cocked hat. Hardly worth bothering with, especially since they have supported The McCanns from day one.
Actually, he was probably too scared to talk to them.

The Mercury is a bit bigger than a local rag, Sabot, the population of Leicestershire is over 600,000 - that is an awful lot of people to have regarding you as an obsessive stalker of innocent people

bb1 wrote:The Mercury is a bit bigger than a local rag, Sabot, the population of Leicestershire is over 600,000 - that is an awful lot of people to have regarding you as an obsessive stalker of innocent people

I was looking at it from Bennett's point of view, Bonny. I think it's called Dissemination. You know, when people make things that are true into things that aren't true. Or the other way around. Whichever suits.

bb1 wrote:The Mercury is a bit bigger than a local rag, Sabot, the population of Leicestershire is over 600,000 - that is an awful lot of people to have regarding you as an obsessive stalker of innocent people

The Mercury is a very good county paper with a big readership. It has been going for a long time and is never sensational, so, as bonny says, it's not a rag. And I wonder how the Rothley people are going to respond to see this splashed all over the front page? LL

I wonder why forkers never bother to read the police files?

GILLYSPOT MOM OF TWO
@
@RingoStarfish @BrenR1958 Who's bothered about that? It is just media spin and not based in fact. #McCann haven't been "completely cleared"

Yes, they have - the Attorney General of Portugal in person cleared them without any charge whatsoever.

It's perfectly simple:

The archiving of the Process concerning Arguidos Gerald Patrick McCann and Kate Marie Healy, because there are no indications of the practise of any crime under the dispositions of article 277 number 1 of the Penal Process Code.

See? Cleared without charge.

I was looking at it from Bennett's point of view, Bonny.

Ah, with you now, Sabot. Actually, I don't think he will see it that way - you know how excited they all get when one of their pet trolls gets a line in an obscure free sheet?

honestbroker wrote:

Lamplighter wrote:

bb1 wrote:The Mercury is a bit bigger than a local rag, Sabot, the population of Leicestershire is over 600,000 - that is an awful lot of people to have regarding you as an obsessive stalker of innocent people

The Mercury is a very good county paper with a big readership. It has been going for a long time and is never sensational, so, as bonny says, it's not a rag. And I wonder how the Rothley people are going to respond to see this splashed all over the front page? LL

Sabot was being ironic, I think.

Yes, I was, HB. I think The Telegraph went to his head somewhat. And that lot have spent enough time spinning that article in their favour. The Mercury might have been a bit more blunt with a quote from Bennett.

bb1, thank you for the link.

honestbroker wrote:

Lamplighter wrote:

bb1 wrote:The Mercury is a bit bigger than a local rag, Sabot, the population of Leicestershire is over 600,000 - that is an awful lot of people to have regarding you as an obsessive stalker of innocent people

The Mercury is a very good county paper with a big readership. It has been going for a long time and is never sensational, so, as bonny says, it's not a rag. And I wonder how the Rothley people are going to respond to see this splashed all over the front page? LL

Sabot was being ironic, I think.

Oh, what's ironic when it's at home? LL

Hilarious - the hounders are further winning friends and influencing people by calling everyone who doesn't agree with their witch-hunting and lynch-mobbery, 'the masses' and other sneering names...


your average Joe seems to literally need 'spoon feeding'

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The masses don't care

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what on EARTH will make the masses get off their asses

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the masses are too preoccupied with being spoon-fed all kinds of tripe via TV and newspapers. They seem to have little or no ability to think for themselves or challenge anything.
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what would get the masses off their asses

Have they the slightest idea of the image they are presenting to the outside world?

THE MAJORITY they mean.