Cops took my girl’s clothes to see if they were Maddie’s

Cops took my girl’s clothes to see if they were Maddie’s

EXCLUSIVE

By ANNABELLE LOVE and NICK SHARPE, Chief Reporter
Published: Today at 00:01

TORTURE gang leader Steven Johnson had his daughter’s clothes seized by police — after fearing they could belong to missing Madeleine McCann.

The monster — caged for 25 years for the savage attack on James Ross — was quizzed by cops investigating the little girl’s disappearance following his arrest in Portugal.

And the 49-year-old thug told his mum Helen Taylor, 73, that officers had swooped on his toddler daughter’s clothes.

The dramatic details can now be revealed after Johnson was jailed for the sickening torture attack on abduction victim James, 28, from Wick, Caithness.

Helen, who calls her son John, said: “When they arrested John they said it was kidnap and threw in about the little girl as well.

“They went and took his baby Elizabeth’s clothes — she was 18 months old — and analysed them.

“They said it was because the James Ross case was kidnap, a similar crime.”

Violent Johnson revealed how police had quizzed him about Maddie, who disappeared in the Algarve aged three in 2007, in a letter he sent from prison.

In the badly-written note, he said: “If the police have any proof, it’s been falsified. I can’t prove my innocence without the help of the police and they won’t give me help to prove I didn’t do anything, they just want to convict us to make up for their incompetence in the Madeleine McCann case.

“The police told me they would charge me with her disappearance and make it stick.”

A court in Loule found the brute, of Radcliffe, Manchester, guilty of attempted murder, kidnap, GBH and drug trafficking.

Fellow gang member Callum McLeod, 45, from Stornoway, Lewis, was sentenced to 15 years, while Terence McGurk, 33, and William Quinn, 54, both from Coventry, got eight years. Ronald Lee Rose, 25, also from Coventry, was handed two-and-a-half years.

Victim James suffered a 13-day ordeal after being abducted at Faro airport in October 2010.

The dad-of-two finally managed to escape after his captors cut off his ear, two fingers and three toes.

Last night Johnson’s mum Helen revealed her son planned to write a book about his brutal crimes.

She added: “Maybe when I read it I’ll finally find out the details.”


xxxhttp://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/feeds/smartphone/scotland/4433191/Cops-took-my-girls-clothes-to-see-if-they-were-Maddies.html#ixzz20pxj678Z

So the Portuguese Judiciary were still looking for Madeleine when this took place in 2010


James’s nightmare began when he flew to Portugal on October 5 to meet a friend of the family

Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/3318321/Tortured-James-Ross-joy-at-Xmas-with-family.html#ixzz20rEboJdjeleine when this took place in 2010

perhaps the police thought they could pin on/clear up Madeleine's case on that guy?

It doesn't sound to me like they were looking for her as much as looking for someone to pin it on, Tony, and this bunch of Brit druggie scumbags would have done nicely.

If you remember, when James Ross first tottered into town, the PJ weren't looking for him, either - they had decided he was dead after finding an abandoned car.

Stitching that lot up for also abducting Madeleine would have helped them look a little better, at least.

What a stupid thing to do from Algarve PJ about the clothes.

It would have solved a lot of problems for the local PJ if they had managed to frame this shower of scumbags, Pedro.

At the very least, it would have made up for their blunder in deciding Ross was dead, when he was actually alive, but getting his toes cut off.

It's no thanks to the PJ that this lot are behind bars, it's because their victim managed to get free and go for help.

Yes bb1,

Why is it that the local PJ never seem to consider that locals might be involved in Madeleine's abduction?

Everyone they have tried to frame has been British....

bb1, your words are mine.

I remember that Mr. Dave Edgar mentioned the possible involvement of someone Portuguese, or related with someone there, a Praia da Luz resident, to be involved, or know something about the abduction.

Well, it makes considerably more sense, I feel, Pedro. But it's as if the PJ are sending out a message of, Don't look here, at us, look over there, at them.