Was Mr Smiths claim just pie in the sky after all?

[John]

Of course a strong accent may also be a reason why somebody wouldn't reply also.

Excellent point Lyall, I have lived on the island of Ireland off and on since the mid 50's and I cannot even understand the southern brogue.  ...but then again everyone thinks I hail fae Wick.   

Having had business interests in Spain for many years I am always astounded when Brits out there think that locals should speak to them in English.  If a Spaniard walled into Tesco's in Luton would he expect to be greeted in Spanish?

[Lyall]

Excellent point Lyall, I have lived on the island of Ireland off and on since the mid 50's and I cannot even understand the southern brogue.  ...but then again everyone thinks I hail fae Wick.   

Where's Mrs Smith from? Do we know? Peter Smith spoke on Sky News, and he has a strong accent, but I don't think we've ever heard the others >@@(*&)

[pathfinder73]

Excellent point Lyall, I have lived on the island of Ireland off and on since the mid 50's and I cannot even understand the southern brogue.  ...but then again everyone thinks I hail fae Wick.   

He didn't even acknowledge her in any way, he diverted his eyes and put his head down.

"As we made our way back to our apartment in Estrella da Luz, we met a guy with a child that appeared to be asleep. It looked like a blonde child, and I thought she might be four years old, as she was the same size as my grandchild who was with us. None of us was 100 per cent sure what he was wearing but we all told police he was wearing beige trousers and a darker top. We all put him in his early 40s. I didn't think he was Portuguese." (Martin Smith)

Maddie: Irishman provides dramatic new clues, 03 January 2008

http://www.mccannfiles.com/id162.html

[Lyall]

No reason why we should hear them of course.

[AnneGuedes]

Excellent point Lyall, I have lived on the island of Ireland off and on since the mid 50's and I cannot even understand the southern brogue.  ...but then again everyone thinks I hail fae Wick.   

Having had business interests in Spain for many years I am always astounded when Brits out there think that locals should speak to them in English.  If a Spaniard walled into Tesco's in Luton would he expect to be greeted in Spanish?

English has turned into a lingua franca, that's why. It's no good news for the English language to be deformed as it is in its basic English form.

[Sherlock Holmes]

English has turned into a lingua franca, that's why. It's no good news for the English language to be deformed as it is in its basic English form.

As with every colonial tongue.

Didn't Portuguese in Brasil and Anglola take a bit of a bashing?

[slartibartfast]

Who knows ? Why did Mr Smith state that Mr McCann could be Smithman ? Had he something to gain with it ? Was he paid ? If not why did he contact the Gardai and was so disturbed, according to them ?

Strange that for Mr Smith to come forward, there had to be something in it for him, yet for tourists in other countries around the world to identify MM they are being public spirited.,

[Carana]

Strange that for Mr Smith to come forward, there had to be something in it for him, yet for tourists in other countries around the world to identify MM they are being public spirited.,

I have never had any reason to doubt that Martin Smith was anything other than public-spirited and simply conveyed his doubt in case it could be relevant. My issue is that the suggestibility factor doesn't seem to have been taken into account by the first PJ team. And his original "60-80%" impression became progressively exaggerated: it turned into "80%"... and then to "he was sure that..." (which I would understand to be 100% certain). Depending on the various forum (and quite possibly media) accounts of this, it has morphed into the suggestion that the entire family was certain, which is far from the truth.

[Angelo222]

I have been pondering this entire episode yet again since it has renewed interest following DCI Redwoods Crimewatch appearance and the debacle over the hidden e-fits which team McCann sat on for several years.

You have to look at this incident logically.  The sighting of Smithman happened that's for sure, there were too many witnesses for it to have been invented.

The question now is, why did Martin Smith report it?

[Angelo222]

Did he report the sighting to the Irish Gardai because this chappie was a suspect or was it because he thought it was Gerry McCann?

We know that he only reported the matter once he saw Gerry walk down the aircraft steps since he claims in his statement that it was the way that Gerry was holding the child which reminded him of the earlier encounter in Praia da Luz.

After being very sure that it was Gerry McCann whom he met that night carrying a child we now are told that he has changed his mind and no longer considers this to be the case.

[Lyall]

The family reported it first in May Angelo >@@(*&)

[Angelo222]

The family reported it first in May Angelo >@@(*&)

You're correct of course.  So if he reported it on return to Ireland do we know when the first claims were made that Smithman was Gerry?

To put it another way, did the identification of Gerry only arise after the McCanns arrived home or was this accusation voiced earlier?

[Lyall]

You're correct of course.  So if he reported it on return to Ireland do we know when the first claims were made that Smithman was Gerry?

To put it another way, did the identification of Gerry only arise after the McCanns arrived home or was this accusation voiced earlier?

Yes, after the flight back to UK.

It wasn't a strong identification even then and appears to have been changed altogether now, but clearly the family did see someone. A group of people is obviously a great deal more indicative than one person (especially when that one person didn't see a face or actually identify the child).

[AnneGuedes]

the suggestibility factor doesn't seem to have been taken into account by the first PJ team.

But not by the second one ?

[AnneGuedes]

After being very sure that it was Gerry McCann whom he met that night carrying a child we now are told that he has changed his mind and no longer considers this to be the case.

By whom ?