So what's next in the libel trial saga?

[faithlilly]

I hear the defence wanted the couple to provide a detailed rundown of the fund's income but they refused.

Wouldn't that have been a very tangible way to prove that the book had damaged the search by affecting the donations used to fund it ?

[Mr Gray]

I hear the defence wanted the couple to provide a detailed rundown of the fund's income but they refused.

Wouldn't that have been a very tangible way to prove that the book had damaged the search by affecting the donations used to fund it ?

no

[faithlilly]

no

Why not ?

[Benice]

I sincerely hope that somewhere along the line it was brought to the Judge's attention that people reading Amaral's  book would be more likely to be influenced by it's contents -  purely because they thought they were getting a first hand account of events - and had no idea that Amaral had never met or spoken to Kate McCann in his life - and had only once met Gerry briefly.

IIRC Nowhere in his book does he admit that - infact IMO he deliberately conceals that most important piece of information from his readers.

[faithlilly]

I sincerely hope that somewhere along the line it was brought to the Judge's attention that people reading Amaral's  book would be more likely to be influenced by it's contents -  purely because they thought they were getting a first hand account of events - and had no idea that Amaral had never met or spoken to Kate McCann in his life - and had only once met Gerry briefly.

IIRC Nowhere in his book does he admit that - infact IMO he deliberately conceals that most important piece of information from his readers.

A police officer is lead by the evidence not some subjective view he forms of suspects so why would it be necessary for Amaral to have met the McCanns ?

[Brietta]

I sincerely hope that somewhere along the line it was brought to the Judge's attention that people reading Amaral's  book would be more likely to be influenced by it's contents -  purely because they thought they were getting a first hand account of events - and had no idea that Amaral had never met or spoken to Kate McCann in his life - and had only once met Gerry briefly.

IIRC Nowhere in his book does he admit that - infact IMO he deliberately conceals that most important piece of information from his readers.

Having read small snippets ... I would think he is actually a reasonable fiction writer ... he appears by his own account to have been ubiquitous and present at everything that went on in the case.
Reading what he has written it came as a surprise to me ... that he had never met nor interviewed Madeleine's parents.  I believe the first time he actually visited the scene was for the shooting of his documentary ... is that a fact?

I'm certain the learned judge will have worked out that a book written by the chief investigator in a case will carry much more weight than one by any other author could.
The damage done to the reputation of the accused and cleared couple as a result is immeasurable ... I think she will take that into account.

[Alfred R Jones]

A police officer is lead by the evidence not some subjective view he forms of suspects so why would it be necessary for Amaral to have met the McCanns ?

One could say the same about a good author but that didn't stop you laying into Summers and Swann for the same reason.

[Carana]

Having read small snippets ... I would think he is actually a reasonable fiction writer ... he appears by his own account to have been ubiquitous and present at everything that went on in the case.
Reading what he has written it came as a surprise to me ... that he had never met nor interviewed Madeleine's parents.  I believe the first time he actually visited the scene was for the shooting of his documentary ... is that a fact?

I'm certain the learned judge will have worked out that a book written by the chief investigator in a case will carry much more weight than one by any other author could.
The damage done to the reputation of the accused and cleared couple as a result is immeasurable ... I think she will take that into account.

He did visit PdL at some point in the early days. There's a video snapshot of him in the vicinity listening to officers while the yellow police tape was still up. I doubt that I'd be able to find it now.

In a poll that I'd forgotten about until I stumbled across it again the other day:

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?53176-Portuguese-Press-%28Translations%29-No-Discussion/page17

Look at the difference between the percentages of PT versus UK households who were convinced of the McCannswhatdunnit scenario... And this was presumably in Sept 08.

Not all of that can be laid directly at Amaral's door, but I find it highly unlikely that the constant drip-feed of half-baked myths from the PJ under his watch and the fawning interviewers on matinée shows in which he made guest appearances, plus his own CdaM column, didn't contribute. It's not clear to me at the moment whether the "promo" tour is part of the actual suit or not, or whether it's limited to the effect of the contents of the book and the "documentary".

It remains to be seen whether his selective thinking is considered as reasonable freedom of expression or as cherry-picking from a former privileged position as an "experienced" investigator.

The legal issue in Portugal seems to be how to prove a causal link to damage and then how to quantify it (as in a generic civil liability case).
 

[pegasus]

...  I believe the first time he actually visited the scene was for the shooting of his documentary ... is that a fact? ...

Early in the investigation Mr Amaral visited the location and walked the streets nearby

[Brietta]

Early in the investigation Mr Amaral visited the location and walked the streets nearby

I should have been more specific in my post.  When I referred to the scene ... I meant the apartment Madeleine disappeared from, not really the adjacent area ... it was among one of the first things Rebelo did.

Carana remembers a scene with him in the street ... I wonder if that was when he saw Murat for the first time when he was leaving his villa.

[pegasus]

I should have been more specific in my post.  When I referred to the scene ... I meant the apartment Madeleine disappeared from, not really the adjacent area ... it was among one of the first things Rebelo did.

Carana remembers a scene with him in the street ... I wonder if that was when he saw Murat for the first time when he was leaving his villa.

He was definitely on the streets outside. I assume naturally he also went inside. Fairly obvious IMO.

[Benice]

A police officer is lead by the evidence not some subjective view he forms of suspects so why would it be necessary for Amaral to have met the McCanns ?

You've completely missed the point Faith  -  which was that no-one reading his book would have the slightest clue from it's content that Amaral had never met or spoken to Kate McCan in his life - and had only briefly met Gerry once.     In fact quite the opposite impression is given to his readers - and deliberately so IMO.

IMO that was dishonest.

[DCI]

http://www.justpamalam.co.uk/Libel_trial_Day10.pdf

And http://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/Ricardo_Paiva_08_10_2013.htm

[Jean-Pierre]

And http://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/Ricardo_Paiva_08_10_2013.htm

For heavens sake don't tell Faithlilly....... 

[DCI]

For heavens sake don't tell Faithlilly....... 

I won't but someone will  %£&)**#