media reports October 16th

London Evening Standard

Madeleine McCann: police receive 1,000 calls and emails after fresh Crimewatch appeal



JUSTIN DAVENPORT, CRIME EDITOR
Published: 15 October 2013 Updated: 15:23, 15 October 2013

Detectives investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann have received nearly 1,000 calls and emails from the public in an “overwhelming” response to a new TV appeal.

More than 730 people called appeal numbers and more than 212 people emailed information after police released new e-fit images of possible suspects.

Several people have given the same name for an image of a man seen carrying a child in pyjamas at the time Madeleine vanished.

The BBC Crimewatch appeal last night came as police revealed they believe her disappearance has all the hallmarks of a "pre-planned abduction".

Madeleine, from Leicestershire, was nearly four years old when she disappeared from her parents' holiday apartment in Praia da Luz on 3 May 2007.

The new appeal features two e-fits of a man seen carrying a child towards the beach at 10pm on the night Madeleine disappeared, just moments before her mother returned to the apartment to check on her children.

In a significant development police say they have now ruled out a sighting of a man carrying a child who was once considered a key suspect in the original Portugese inquiry.

He has been identified as a holidaymaker who was picking up his two-year-old child from a night creche at the Ocean Club complex.

The development has shifted the inquiry’s focus to a later sighting at 10pm when an Irish family reported seeing a man walking towards the beach carrying a blonde girl in pyjamas who appeared to be in an uncomfortable position with her head slumped against him.

Police say that among those to call the hotline were several British holidaymakers who were in the resort of Praia da Luz at the time who have not yet spoken to the Met.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood said he was "extremely pleased" with the response to the programme.

He said: "We will now take the time to follow up these lines of enquiry.”

Detectives believe the three-year-old may have been abducted by an organised crime group who checked out the apartments at the resort in the days before she went missing.

Mr Redwood said one reading of the evidence is that the kidnapping had "the hallmarks of a pre-planned abduction that would undoubtedly have involved reconnaissance".

Scotland Yard said it was also looking into possible links to burglaries and bogus charity collections in the area.

Witnesses described the man in the new e-fits as white, aged between 20-40, with short brown hair, of medium build, medium height and clean-shaven.

Investigators are also trying to identify mysterious fair-haired men seen "lurking around" the apartment at the time who could be Dutch or German, and TV appeals will be run in Holland and Germany.

Two e-fits of the fair-haired men have been released.



One is of a man who was seen twice by the same witness near the flat where the McCanns were staying. He was 30 to 35, thin, with short hair, shaving spots on his face and was wearing a black leather jacket. Another witness saw a similar-looking man in the resort.

Crimewatch editor Joe Mather said several callers had given the same name for the man spotted carrying a child towards the beach.

He told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "It's been a truly unprecedented response.

“Significantly there were lots of calls from British people who were in Praia da Luz around the time of Madeleine's disappearance who had never previously spoken to the Met so there's lots of information coming through there.

"They received several names for the key 10pm sighting, the sighting of a man carrying a child towards the beach. Several different names but also several callers mentioned the same name for that man."

Mr Mather said there were "inevitably a fair few calls" which were not helpful but said there were "genuinely calls that were helpful" after last night's broadcast.

"I think the police are very, very pleased with how it went. I think it went better than they potentially expected."

Police also announced a £20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for Madeleine's disappearance.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/madeleine-mccann-police-receive-1000-calls-and-emails-after-fresh-crimewatch-appeal-8880623.html

The Daily Mirror

Madeleine McCann key witness accuses Portuguese police of not taking his vital prime suspect evidence seriously

16 Oct 2013

Retired businessman Martin Smith provided details for an e-fit of the prime suspect after spotting the mystery man close to where Maddie vanished more than six years ago



A key witness in the Madeleine McCann case claimed yesterday that Portuguese police failed to take his evidence seriously.

Retired businessman Martin Smith, 64, provided details for an e-fit of the prime suspect after spotting the mystery man carrying a child at 10pm close to where the three-year-old vanished more than six years ago.

But he said his information was virtually ignored by local officers because they were too busy chasing up another sighting of a man near Kate and Gerry McCann’s holiday apartment in Praia da Luz 45 minutes earlier.

Scotland Yard detectives reinvestigating the case after six years have now established that the suspect Portuguese police were so keen to trace – spotted by holidaymaker Jane Tanner at 9.20pm – was just an innocent British tourist returning his own child from a crèche.

Mr Smith, a former Unilever executive, made a statement along with his wife Aolfe and son Peter soon after Madeleine vanished on May 3, 2007.

He helped compile e-fits a year later – but the images were not released at the time and were only made public for the first time earlier this week.

Speaking from his home in Drogheda, Co Louth, Mr Smith said that the Portuguese police did not seem to think his sighting was significant.

He added: “It looked as if they put 90% credence on the Jane Tanner sighting, maybe that wrong-footed them and they didn’t take our sighting as seriously. I was surprised it took six years to rule out the other sighting.”

He said he has met with Scotland Yard detectives twice over the past 18 months to help them with the new probe. He added: “We‘d all love to see the police get to the bottom of what happened.”

“We think about Madeleine a lot and we would love to see a conclusion to this case.

Mr Smith was with his wife, daughter, son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren on the night that the three year old vanished.

The family described the man they saw as white, with short brown hair and of average build and height, aged between 20 and 40.

Commenting on the Crimewatch documentary which was broadcast on Monday night he added: “The only new thing in the investigation is the elimination of Jane Tanner’s sighting.

“Apart from that from our point of view everything else remains the same in relation to what we said to the police and the media at the time. We have nothing more to add.”

At least two callers who responded to the TV appeal gave the same name for the two e-fits provided by the Smiths.

Finding the man and determining whether he was in Praia da Luz on the night the three-year-old vanished is a top priority of Scotland Yard detectives.

Around 1,000 people have contacted police as a result of the appeal.

They include a number of British people who were in the Algarve resort at the time. At least one ex-pat called from the town on Monday night.

Senior investigating officer Det Chief Inspector Andy Redwood said his team are working through the calls and material generated by the appeal.

A total of 330 calls were made to the Operation Grange incident room and 400 to BBC1 Crimewatch as well as 220 emails.

In a statement issued through their spokesman, Kate and Gerry McCann said: “We are absolutely delighted with the overwhelming public response to Crimewatch, which was broadcast last night.

“We know that the public desperately want to help the search for Madeleine.

“We are genuinely hopeful that one of more of these responses will lead to a major breakthrough in the investigation.”

They added: “If anyone was in Praia da Luz around the time of Madeleine’s abduction and has not spoken to the Metropolitan Police, or if they know who any of the e-fits might be, please have the courage to come forward and speak to the police in confidence.”

DCI Redwood added: “Detectives are now trawling through and prioritising that material. This will take time.”

Mr Redwood, who travelled to Holland yesterday to continue the appeal, said: “I will be repeating similar appeals in Holland this evening and in Germany tomorrow night.”

A reward of up to £20,000 is being offered for information leading to the identification, arrest and prosecution of those responsible for Madeleine’s abduction, he said.

There are 40 people answering calls at any time, and officers waiting to “action the information”.

Crimewatch editor Joe Mather said the response to the programme was “truly unprecedented”.

He said: “They received several names for the key 10pm sighting, the sighting of a man carrying a child towards the beach.

“Several different names but also several callers mentioned the same name for that man.”

Mr Mather said there were “inevitably a fair few calls” which were not helpful but there were “genuinely calls that were helpful” after last night’s broadcast.

During last night’s programme, Mr and Mrs McCann urged people to “rack their brains” and come forward with information.

Kate said: “Please, please have the courage and confidence to come forward now, and share that information with us, and you could unlock this whole case, so please.”



Check out all the latest News, Sport & Celeb gossip at Mirror.co.uk http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/madeleine-mccann-key-witness-accuses-2433328#ixzz2hq1tSfSq
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A reward of up to £20,000 is being offered for information leading to the identification, arrest and prosecution of those responsible for Madeleine’s abduction, he said.

What about Gonc's pal?    

BBC NEWS UK

Madeleine McCann: Parents 'delighted' with appeal response

An image (right) showing how Madeleine might have looked aged nine




The McCanns have said they are "absolutely delighted" with the "overwhelming" response to a fresh appeal about Madeleine's disappearance.

Kate and Gerry McCann said they are "genuinely hopeful" that a response to Monday night's BBC Crimewatch would lead to a major breakthrough.

Police are working through information from nearly 1,000 calls and emails.

Several people are said to have given the same man's name after e-fit images and a reconstruction were shown.

Madeleine, of Rothley, Leicestershire, was three years old when she disappeared from her parents' holiday apartment in Praia da Luz on 3 May 2007.

The Metropolitan Police are offering a £20,000 reward for information.

Det Ch Insp Andy Redwood, the officer leading the inquiry, is to make similar appeals on Dutch and German TV.



Detectives are now trawling through and prioritizing that material. This will take time”

Det Ch Insp Andy Redwood
Police, who outlined their latest findings in the search for Madeleine on the BBC One's Crimewatch, released two e-fits of a man seen carrying a child in Praia da Luz at 22:00 on the night Madeleine went missing.

It was also revealed that they now suspect Madeleine could have been taken up to 45 minutes later than previously thought - just before her mother returned to the apartment to check on her.

In the programme, Kate McCann described the moment that "panic kicked in" after returning to the apartment to find her daughter missing.

Scotland Yard suggested the case bore hallmarks of a "pre-planned abduction" - a number of men possibly carrying out reconnaissance had been seen by witnesses - but said it was also looking into possible links to burglaries and bogus charity collections in the area.


Thursday 3 May 2007: Timeline





20:30 Kate and Gerry McCann leave their apartment to have dinner at a Tapas bar
21:05 Gerry McCann checks on Madeleine and her siblings
22:00 A man is seen carrying a child wearing pyjamas heading towards the ocean
22:00 Kate McCann raises the alarm that Madeleine has gone missing
Full timeline of how events unfolded


In an update after the broadcast, Det Ch Insp Redwood said there had been 730 phone calls and 212 emails "as a direct result of the specific lines of inquiry we issued yesterday".

"Detectives are now trawling through and prioritising that material. This will take time," he said.






E-fits of men police want to trace (Top row l-r): Sighted at 22:00 carrying girl; Seen near McCanns' apartment; Charity collector; (Bottom row l-r) Different image of man sighted at 22:00; Seen near McCanns' apartment; Seen in Ocean club resort on 3 May

In a statement issued through their spokesman, the McCanns said: "We are genuinely hopeful that one of more of these responses will lead to a major breakthrough in the investigation.

"If anyone was in Praia da Luz around the time of Madeleine's abduction and has not spoken to the Metropolitan Police, or if they know who any of the e-fits might be, please have the courage to come forward and speak to the police in confidence," they added.

Crimewatch's editor Joe Mather said the appeal "went better than expected" and "significantly" many of the calls received were from British people who had been at the resort at the time but had not previously contacted the Met.

Mr Mather told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "They received several names for the key 10pm sighting, the sighting of a man carrying a child towards the beach. Several different names but also several callers mentioned the same name for that man."




The appeal has generated interest across Europe, as Richard Bilton reports
The Metropolitan Police say their inquiries have led to the timeline and "accepted version of events" surrounding Madeleine's disappearance being significantly changed.

Det Ch Insp Redwood said it had been a "revelation moment" when police discovered a man seen by the McCanns' friend Jane Tanner at 21:15 was almost certainly an innocent British holiday-maker collecting his two-year-old daughter from a nearby creche.

He said: "Our focus in terms of understanding what happened on the night of 3 May has now given us a shift of emphasis.

Continue reading the main story
Inquiry: Key dates

3 May 2007: Madeleine disappears from apartment at Ocean Club, Praia da Luz. Police notify border police and airports and hundreds join a search for her
15 May 2007: British-born Robert Murat is made an official suspect or "arguido"
26 May 2007: Police issue description of man seen carrying what could have been a child the night Madeleine went missing
7 Sept 2007: Detectives make Mr and Mrs McCann "arguidos"
19 March 2008: McCanns accept £550,000 libel damages from Express newspapers over allegations they were responsible for Madeleine's death
15 July 2008: Mr Murat settles for £600,000 in damages from UK newspapers which alleged he was involved in disappearance
21 July 2008: Portuguese shelve investigation and lift "arguido" status of the McCanns and Mr Murat
13 May 2011: UK PM David Cameron writes to McCanns announcing "new action" by Met Police
4 July 2013: The Met Police launch a formal investigation and say they are investigating 38 "persons of interest"
14 Oct 2013: Police reveal new details of the investigation on Crimewatch
15 Oct 2013: Police say their appeal resulted in nearly 730 phone calls and 212 emails
Inquiry timeline in full
"It takes us through to a position at 10pm when we see another man who is walking towards the ocean, close by to the apartment, with a young child in his arms."

The reconstruction is also to be shown in the Netherlands this evening, Germany on Wednesday, and in the Irish Republic. Tourists from all the countries were known to be in Praia da Luz at the time.

The two e-fit images released are of a man a family had seen with a blond-haired child of three or four, possibly wearing pyjamas, heading away from the McCanns' holiday apartment.

Det Ch Insp Redwood said he could be the man who took Madeleine - but there could be an innocent explanation.

He said there had been a four-fold increase in the number of burglaries in the area between January and May 2007 and one possible scenario was that Madeleine had disturbed a burglar.

Police are also looking at possible bogus charity collectors operating in the area at the time and have released two e-fit images of Portuguese men they would like to identify.

They have released e-fit images of two men seen in the area around the time that Madeleine disappeared. Two are of fair-haired men who fit similar descriptions.

Portuguese police shelved their inquiry in 2008 but Scotland Yard began a review of the case in May 2011 and opened a formal investigation in July this year.

BBC News correspondent Tom Burridge in Praia da Luz said Portuguese police had not commented on the Met investigation but had given the impression that they were co-operating well with their British counterparts.

The Met Police's reward is for information leading to the identification, arrest and prosecution of the person or persons responsible for the abduction of Madeleine McCann.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24539403

DAILY EXPRESS

MADDIE: Are police closer to breakthrough after 'overwhelming' response to Crimewatch?

POLICE investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann have been handed the name of a man who different people believe matches the e-fit of the child's abductor.


Officers have received more than 1,000 calls and emails in response to a fresh appeal for information on BBC Crimewatch last night.

Detectives say they are "extremely pleased", while the editor of the programme said some callers had given the same name for a man spotted carrying a child towards the beach in Praia da Luz, Portugal

Crimewatch editor Joe Mather said the response to the programme had been "truly unprecedented".

"Significantly, there were lots of calls from British people who were in Praia da Luz around the time of Madeleine's disappearance who had never previously spoken to the Met, so there's lots of information coming through there," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"They received several names for the key 10pm sighting, the sighting of a man carrying a child towards the beach. Several different names but also several callers mentioned the same name for that man."

Mr Mather said there were "inevitably a fair few calls" which were not helpful but said there were "genuinely calls that were helpful" after last night's broadcast.

Maddie's mother Kate may have been just moments from catching the ­kidnapper in the act of snatching the little girl from her bed, it emerged last night.

But the description of the man cradling the slumbering child has taken on a fresh ­significance following two years of inquiries by a squad of Scotland Yard detectives using the codename Operation Grange.

The potential prime suspect is described as white, in his 30s, of medium build and height, clean shaven with short brown hair. He was carrying a child aged three or four who had blonde hair and was wearing pyjamas similar to Madeleine’s.

He was heading for the beach but detectives say suggestions that Madeleine may have been taken from Praia da Luz by boat are speculation.

Computer-generated e-fits of the possible prime suspect featured on last night’s BBC Crime­watch as the Yard appealed for help to track him down.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood said: “This could be the man who took Madeleine or there could be an innocent explanation.

“If you know who this person is, please come forward.”




A reward of £20,000 is on offer for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of Madeleine’s kidnappers.

The e-fit images were generated for private investigators in 2008. The Yard declined to comment on why they were not released until yesterday.

Detectives also want to trace several blond-haired men and a group of charity collectors seen hanging around the holiday resort complex at the time of Madeleine’s disappearance.

Similar appeals to last night’s BBC Crimewatch will be broadcast in Holland and Germany after reports that some of the men spoke Dutch or German.

Police also revealed details of a break-in at a nearby apartment almost exactly a year before the kidnapping.

A child left alone with a baby screamed in terror as an intruder strolled into their bedroom and gazed into the cot before leaving empty-handed.



Yard detectives are analysing the strange incident along with a spate of burglaries in the area in the months before the abduction. They are looking at the possibility Madeleine may have disturbed a burglar.

In a moving interview for BBC Crimewatch, Mrs McCann and her husband Gerry from Rothley, Leicestershire, spoke of the happy family holiday which turned to anguish.

They also described the feelings of guilt over the fateful decision to leave Madeleine and her twin siblings Sean and Amelie while they had dinner at a tapas restaurant 50 yards away.

Mrs McCann said: “I did persecute myself over the decision to eat at the tapas restaurant for weeks, months and years.
“Why did we think that was OK? But that doesn’t help us and it doesn’t help Madeleine.

“Ultimately, it is not us who has committed this crime. It is the person who has gone into that apartment and taken a little girl away from her family.”

Investigations previously focused on a report of another man seen carrying a child close to the McCanns’ apartment around 9.15pm on May 3, 2007 – around 45 minutes before Mrs McCann discovered her daughter was missing.

The man and pyjama-clad child were spotted by the ­couple’s fellow diner Jane Tanner as she went to check on her own children.

Police are now “almost certain” the man she saw was an innocent British holidaymaker who was taking his two-year-old child back to their apartment.


Chief Inspector Redwood described the ruling out of the 9.15pm sighting as “really interesting and exciting – a revelatory mom­ent” and allowed his officers to focus on the later report of the second man carrying a child towards the beach.

A man was seen carrying a fair-haired child towards the beach minutes before Kate McCann went to check on her children and found Madeleine missing.

Scotland Yard regard the dark-haired man, right, as a potential prime suspect in the international hunt for the ­kidnappers. The sighting was reported to police soon after

Madeleine, then three, vanished from a holiday flat in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in May 2007.

This man was seen by members of the Smith family from Drogheda, Co Louth, ­Ireland, who were on holiday.


Martin Smith told police he believed the child was in a “deep sleep.” The man was carrying the youngster with her head slumped against him.

According to Mr Smith, the child had pale “typically British skin” and shoulder-length, fair hair. Crucially, he also recalled that the child was wearing light-coloured or pink pyjamas, similar to Madeleine’s.

The Smiths made statements to Portuguese police and later helped generate the two e-fits for private investigators in 2008.

The ruling out of the 9.15pm sighting has eased the distress of Ms Tanner, 42, who has been tormented by the thought of seeing Madeleine with her abductor but not realising it.



A source close to the McCanns said yesterday: “Jane has always been haunted by the thought she could have chased after that man. The fact that police have dismissed him as a suspect helps her feel a little bit better.”

Operation Grange was launched in May 2011 after the McCanns appealed directly to Prime Minister David Cameron.

Yesterday, Mr Cameron said: “This was a crime that touched the heart of everyone in the country. I hope Scotland Yard continue with their work and I wish them success.”

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/436799/MADDIE-Are-police-closer-to-breakthrough-after-overwhelming-response-to-Crimewatch

Daily Mail


Wednesday, Oct 16 2013 12AM  78°F 3AM 75°F 5-Day Forecast

Crimewatch callers 'name' Maddie suspect: McCanns delighted by overwhelming response to TV reconstruction

Kate and Gerry McCann said they were 'absolutely delighted' at response
After Crimewatch, almost 1,000 people contacted police with tip-offs
A number of callers named the man police believed kidnapped Madeleine
It is the biggest ever response to an appeal on the BBC programme
Madeleine's parents said they are 'genuinely hopeful' of a breakthrough
By REBECCA CAMBER and NEIL SEARS

PUBLISHED: 18:32 EST, 15 October 2013 | UPDATED: 19:55 EST, 15 October 2013

Police are chasing new leads in the Madeleine McCann case after being swamped by almost 1,000 tip-offs from the public.
Detectives are working their way through 730 calls and 212 emails following the biggest ever response to an appeal on BBC Crimewatch.
A number of callers gave names for the man police believe snatched Madeleine from her bed minutes before her mother Kate found she was missing.







Detectives believe a sighting of a man carrying a blonde girl 500 yards from the McCanns’ holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, is of ‘vital importance’.
But the account of Irish holidaymakers who saw the suspect has been called into question because they originally said they were ‘60 to 80 per cent sure’ it was Madeleine’s father Gerry.


Martin and Mary Smith gave police a signed statement when they returned home to Drogheda, County Louth.







They said they had seen a man carrying a child toward Praia da Luz’s beach at 10pm on the night Madeleine disappeared – May 3, 2007.

Metodo 3, a detective agency hired by the McCanns, produced two e-fits of the man in 2008 based on the Smiths’ account.

CRIMEWATCH HITS RECORD AS 7.3M VIEWERS TUNE IN TO BBC SHOW

Crimewatch's Madeline McCann special was the most watched edition of the BBC show in its 29 year history, attracting more than seven million viewers.

The hour long programme, which saw Scotland Yard reveal new findings, peaked with 7.3 million, 30 per cent of the total audience share in the five minutes from 9.25pm.

The show had an average of 6.7 million viewers, 27.4 per cent of the share, adding almost three million viewers to the channel's slot average of 3.9 million, nearly half the audience share enjoyed on Monday.

A BBC spokeswoman said: 'It is the highest audience for a Crimewatch programme on record, going back to 2002.'

The BBC does not have audience figures for Crimewatch, pre-dating that. It was first broadcast in 1984.

Monday night's Crimewatch was up against the popular ITV series Doc Marten which drew an average audience of seven million. The previous series high on March 31st, 2008, recorded 5.5 million (24 per cent). The ten minute update at 10:35pm also attracted 3.3 million (22.5 per cent).

BBC head of communications Sam Hodges, responding to a criticism on Twitter it was a 'ghastly ratings chaser', suggested the big audience was 'a reflection of the public interest'.

The images were made public this week when Scotland Yard revealed the mystery man is now the prime suspect.

The detective leading the Metropolitan Police investigation is expected to travel to Ireland in the coming weeks.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood said he was extremely pleased with the response to Monday night’s Crimewatch appeal.

‘We have now had over 730 calls and 212 emails as a direct result of the specific lines of inquiry we issued yesterday concerning events in the lead up to, and on the night of Thursday 3rd May 2007 when Madeleine was abducted,’ he said.

‘Detectives are now trawling through and prioritising that material. This will take time.’

Mr Redwood, who insists Mr McCann had nothing to do with his daughter’s disappearance, said two independent callers had put forward the same name for the suspect.

Another caller gave the name of a man who was known to be in Portugal at the time of Madeleine’s disappearance.

Mr Redwood said officers were waiting to ‘action the information’ and 40 people were ready to take further calls.

With 6.7million viewers, the appeal attracted the biggest Crimewatch audience on record – almost double the average of 3.9 million.

A BBC spokesman said it also had the highest number of calls ever received, more than double the usual number.

The programme’s editor Joe Mather said: ‘Significantly, there were lots of calls from British people who were in Praia da Luz around the time of Madeleine’s disappearance who had never previously spoken to the Met, so there’s lots of information coming through there.

‘They received several names for the key 10pm sighting, the sighting of a man carrying a child toward the beach.

‘Several different names but also several callers mentioned the same name for that man.’

The Met is now taking the appeal to Holland where appeals were shown last night and a missing persons programme will be broadcast in Germany tonight.

Investigators are keen to trace a number of fair-haired men seen lurking around the holiday apartments at the time who could be Dutch or German.

NEW: Police detail new E-fit, burglaries and nighttime creche












A reward of up to £20,000 is being offered for information leading to the identification, arrest and prosecution of those responsible for Madeleine’s abduction.

Yesterday a spokesman for the McCanns said: ‘We are absolutely delighted with the overwhelming public response to Crimewatch.

‘We know that the public desperately want to help the search for Madeleine. We are genuinely hopeful that one or more of these responses will lead to a major breakthrough in the investigation.’


Who did the key witness see?

The new Crimewatch appeal focused on a claim by an Irish family that they saw a man carrying a child through Praia da Luz at around the time Madeleine McCann was found to be missing.

Two differing e-fits of the suspect were issued, and police say it is possible the family did see the three-year-old being spirited away by her abductor.

Key witness: Irishman Martin Smith, pictured, was in the resort with his family when Maddie disappeared

The sighting came when Martin Smith, a retired businessman in his 70s, was walking back to his apartment in the Algarve resort following a meal and drinks at a bar with his wife and children.

At a spot a six-minute walk from the McCanns’ holiday accommodation, they saw a man carrying a blonde child aged around four. It was just before 10pm and the street lighting was poor.

Although Mr Smith admitted he was not wearing his glasses at the time he later said he thought the man could have been Gerry McCann.

This is an impossibility as dozens of witnesses confirmed he was at the holiday complex at 10pm. British police have also said they are certain that Mr McCann has nothing to do with his daughter’s appearance.

Speaking to Portuguese police a few weeks after Maddie disappeared, Mr Smith said it was ‘not possible to recognise the individual’.

His grandchildren were also unable to identify the man or the girl – but thought she could have been Madeleine.

Yet in September 2007 Mr Smith suddenly called police again to say he believed the man he saw could have been Gerry McCann. He had been watching television coverage of the family returning to Britain. However numerous witnesses say they were with Mr McCann at the tapas restaurant at the time in question – so he could not possibly have been 500 yards away.

This has led to Mr Smith’s account being called into question.

The retired businessman from County Louth, Ireland, was staying in Praia da Luz with his wife Mary, now 65, his son Peter and his wife and their children. He part owned an apartment in the resort and visited it three times a year.





Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2462105/Madeleine-McCanns-parents-delight-Crimewatch-response.html#ixzz2hqOPjw2C
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Isn't this a lovely photo of Kate and Gerry?

 Ex-Portuguese detective attemps to smear Maddie McCann's father again

THE ex-Portuguese detective who accused the McCanns of covering up their daughter’s death tried to smear them again yesterday.
Published 16th October 2013

Goncalo Amaral, 56, who was sacked from the case, said Scotland Yard’s new chief suspect “may be Gerry McCann”.

He added that Martin Smith, who saw the suspect and a child, was “80% sure” the man was Gerry.

The McCanns are suing Amaral for £1million over his book about the case.  

One day that evil scheißkopf will understand the Chinese curse 'May you live in interesting times' as he gets the crap beaten out of him either verbally or physically. I await that day with unfettered glee. LL   

The McCann-haters really do need to think logically about this - if they are actually capable of logic.

Key witness: Irishman Martin Smith, pictured, was in the resort with his family when Maddie disappeared

The sighting came when Martin Smith, a retired businessman in his 70s, was walking back to his apartment in the Algarve resort following a meal and drinks at a bar with his wife and children.

At a spot a six-minute walk from the McCanns’ holiday accommodation, they saw a man carrying a blonde child aged around four. It was just before 10pm and the street lighting was poor.

Although Mr Smith admitted he was not wearing his glasses at the time he later said he thought the man could have been Gerry McCann.

This is an impossibility as dozens of witnesses confirmed he was at the holiday complex at 10pm. British police have also said they are certain that Mr McCann has nothing to do with his daughter’s appearance.

Speaking to Portuguese police a few weeks after Maddie disappeared, Mr Smith said it was ‘not possible to recognise the individual’.

His grandchildren were also unable to identify the man or the girl – but thought she could have been Madeleine.

Yet in September 2007 Mr Smith suddenly called police again to say he believed the man he saw could have been Gerry McCann. He had been watching television coverage of the family returning to Britain. However numerous witnesses say they were with Mr McCann at the tapas restaurant at the time in question – so he could not possibly have been 500 yards away.

This has led to Mr Smith’s account being called into question.

=========

Remember what a pile of garbage Rebelo inherited from Gonzo? Rebelo knew perfectly well the man couldn't be Gerry McCann, due to the law of physics if nothing else.

This nonsense from Gonc helped discredit what Mr Smith saw - and the McCann-haters have ignored the fact that his family did NOT agree with him.

Gonc and the forkers didn't see reality, they saw what they wanted to see through their hategoggles.

Meanwhile, Gonc had further fkced up by insisting that Jane Tanner hadn't seen anyone, that it was all a Conspiracy.

When in fact she had seen someone, and there was no conspiracy.

Gonc made a total, utter, screw up of the vital early weeks. If there is any justice, Gonc is going to end up in a jail cell.