Let's have a close look at what Matt says.

[jassi]

How would Matt justify this statement?If the shutters were down and the windows closed how did he know from the outside that the blinds were closed?  That seems to be a little too far!

By blinds, is he meaning curtains ?

[Robittybob1]

By blinds, is he meaning curtains ?

I thought so, but now I'm changing my mind, maybe he is talking about the shutters!  He started off calling the external blinds but later just blinds.   He is comparing what he saw from the outside check to what he sees from the inside.  That is really difficult assessment for anyone to make on the first visit to a room.  Matt is making this visit to a room he hasn't been in before, how would he know what to expect, so he is comparing it to his own bedroom.

The question asked, he was sure that, at the time of his first being in the vicinity of MBM's bedroom, reported as 21h05 in the course of which he had approached the the window of that bedroom from the outside for the purpose of an auditory check, the blinds were, in his view, fully closed.

Consequently, he is convinced that at the time of the second check the blinds were more open than on the first check, given that he considers that the light inside the bedroom, undoubtedly coming from the outside, could not have been coming through it [the blinds] if they had been fully closed.

http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/MATTHEW-OLDFIELD-10MAY.htm

Does that mean the external blinds were up then?  Proves he didn't do a exterior check on the second visit.  Otherwise he would know rather than guessing.

[jassi]

At his 9:00 PM check he did a outside listening check on three apartments.

I have a feeling Matt was concerned about something, so when some of the group were late he went back and checked up on them, but how far did his check go, how thorough was it?  When I worked as a security guard we were taught how to check the security of a building,  I can't even be sure that the McCann's front door was locked at all.  No one checked it as they left by the patio door.  No one like Matt who is supposedly around on that carpark side of the building says he checked the front door for security yet he says the blinds and the windows were closed.

I have a horrible feeling the McCann's front door wasn't locked.

 It really would show a casual attitude towards security if that was the case.
However, I think photos show that there is no external door handle and that a key would be needed to open the latch from the outside. This would mean the door was 'locked', though maybe not deadlocked from the inside.

[Brietta]

 It really would show a casual attitude towards security if that was the case.
However, I think photos show that there is no external door handle and that a key would be needed to open the latch from the outside. This would mean the door was 'locked', though maybe not deadlocked from the inside.

Absolutely correct.  The door could only be opened from outside with a key.  According to previous occupants, even if it was deadlocked it could still be opened from outside.

**snip
We noticed that the cleaning personnel entered the apartment after one knock and did not give us time to respond. This was a bit bothersome and for this reason we would lock the door, and would leave the key in the inside lock.

After this precaution, the next day, the same thing happened and the cleaning woman entered even though the door was locked with the key in the lock.

We never found out how it was possible for a cleaning woman to enter after we had tried to prevent it.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/CARLO-D_AMBROSIO.htm

[Robittybob1]

OK so the door is closed it appears locked since there is no exterior door handle. Amaral showed that it wasn't possible to open the door using a card but from experience you can still do this with a point.  But if you have a key you can get in no problem.

[Robittybob1]

When I posted "I have a feeling Matt was concerned about something, so when some of the group were late he went back and checked up on them, but how far did his check go, how thorough was it?"  Did you know I think there is reference to what he was concerned about, but they inserted a different word in to disguise it.  Matt you beauty!
Look at Matt's statements and the reasons he goes to do the 9:00 PM check.  [I'm going back to bed]

[Carana]

OK so the door is closed it appears locked since there is no exterior door handle. Amaral showed that it wasn't possible to open the door using a card but from experience you can still do this with a point.  But if you have a key you can get in no problem.

There's a long thread somewhere on here on the card / door demonstration as shown in Amaral's "documentary", showing a PJ chap attempting to shove in an entire card for the camera and declaring that it wouldn't work, due to a screw in the way. I've no idea what screw that could have been unless there was an anomaly in the door. On the other hand, a card may not have been able to get across a bend.

If anyone is pals with a burglar, perhaps they could consult with them?

[ferryman]

There's a long thread somewhere on here on the card / door demonstration as shown in Amaral's "documentary", showing a PJ chap attempting to shove in an entire card for the camera and declaring that it wouldn't work, due to a screw in the way. I've no idea what screw that could have been unless there was an anomaly in the door. On the other hand, a card may not have been able to get across a bend.

If anyone is pals with a burglar, perhaps they could consult with them?

No one here would be pals with a burglar, Carana.

We are all sweet clean-living, law-abiding folk.

Didn't you know?

[Robittybob1]

There's a long thread somewhere on here on the card / door demonstration as shown in Amaral's "documentary", showing a PJ chap attempting to shove in an entire card for the camera and declaring that it wouldn't work, due to a screw in the way. I've no idea what screw that could have been unless there was an anomaly in the door. On the other hand, a card may not have been able to get across a bend.

If anyone is pals with a burglar, perhaps they could consult with them?

That screw would have been an add-on to prevent a card being slid in the gap to activate the bolt.

[Robittybob1]

When I posted "I have a feeling Matt was concerned about something, so when some of the group were late he went back and checked up on them, but how far did his check go, how thorough was it?"  Did you know I think there is reference to what he was concerned about, but they inserted a different word in to disguise it.  Matt you beauty!
Look at Matt's statements and the reasons he goes to do the 9:00 PM check.  [I'm going back to bed]

The following was the nearest to a criticism of some members within the group.
Matt's rogatory statement:

4078 "You've gone through when you saw them on the third of May and your arrival at the Tapas bar, who was already there' You already said it was Kate and Gerry and you think they may have been talking to somebody else but you can't clearly remember who.'
Reply "No.'
 
4078 "And then you just sat down, as far as you recall you sat down as normal.'
Reply "Yeah.'
 
4078 "And then everyone else duly arrived.'
Reply "Yeah, there was derogatory things about time keeping for Dave and Fiona.'

Derogatory things said amongst the group about Dave and Fiona?  Those comments seems to initiate Matt's need to check the three lower apartments and possibly Gerry's internal check of his apartment so soon after arriving.  But the strange thing is that even in that short period of time the door within the McCann's apartment had been moved.