Like millions of others, I doubted the story put forward by the McCanns as to why Madeleine had gone missing.
I co-operated with others to form the Madeleine Foundation.
By 7 December 2008 we had published: "What really happened to Madeleine McCann? 60 Reasons which suggest she was not abducted", a book which began to sell well. A summary of the book's claims were published in a leaflet, '10 Reasons', which was distributed widely by volunteers around the country. In August 2009 there was some publicity over a leaflet drop in Leicestershire, which included a drop in Rothley.
During September Deborah Butler and myself were told by Carter Ruck to stop selling the book, stop distributing the leaflet and cease 'libelling the McCanns'. We were both told that we must sign undertakings to that effect or face a libel action.
So to answer the question: "Why did Anthony Bennett sign an undertaking? An undertaking that he then didn't keep", the response is simple, the McCanns had the financial resources to sue; we did not have the financial resources to defend the action. There was a gross inequality in resources. The McCanns had the financial resources the equivalent of armoured tanks. We had the financial resources of a home-made catapult.
The McCanns insisted on 16 different undertakings being signed. It was 'take it or leave it'. On 25 November 2009 the court suspended the McCanns' libel action on our signing our agreement to the undertakings demanded.
During the two years that followed, I admit that I broke the undertakings in several respects as Mr Justice Tugendhat found in February 2013. The McCanns did not sue for libel, although they could have done, as the original libel proceedings they brought had merely been stayed, not abandoned. Instead they sued for 'Contempt of Court', which is a civil matter, not a criminal matter.
Although the Court ordered me to pay the McCanns' costs, which they told me at the time were around £335,000, we agreed terms via my solicitor, Robin Tilbrook.
I agreed to pay the McCanns an immediate sum of £12,500, then pay a further £15,000 by monthly instalments of £125, for 10 years, beginning on 1 May 2013. To date, I have paid the McCanns, via Carter-Ruck, a total of £26,250, with 10 instalments of £125 a month yet to pay.
After that, the 16 undertakings I signed remain in place and are likely to remain so for ever.
For the record, it was unwise of me to make statements or take actions that broke some of the undertakings. I apologised to the McCanns in Court for my actions.
Thus I was not found guilty of libel, merely of breaking a number of undertakings.
Of course, I still have my opinions.
“I am sure that you intended to allege that the claimants are to be suspected of causing the death of their daughter and did in fact dispose of her body, lie about what happened and covered up what they had done.
“The claimants have suffered injury to their reputations and feelings by the repetition of the allegations which you have repeated in breach of your undertakings.
“You were deliberately flouting the undertakings, and the apology that you offered when giving your evidence was insincere.
“I am sure that you appreciated the seriousness of what you were doing, not least because you trained to be a solicitor.”
Judge Tugendhat.
Do you think if you’d had the resources of an anti tank missile carrier you could have fought and won the case against the McCanns and if so on what basis?
