Has the McCann vs Gonçalo Amaral libel trial become a comedy of errors?

[John]

Day 6 at the McCann vs Gonçalo Amaral and Others libel hearing in Lisbon couldn't have been much worse for McCann family lawyer Isabel Duarte and her faithful assistant Ricardo Alfonso.

Kate McCann's mother, Susan Healey, was scheduled to testify on day 2 of the trial but the Judge never made it back to the Court for the afternoon session.  Worse was yet to come as an oversight by Mrs Duarte meant that although Mrs Healey again returned to the Court yesterday she was refused the opportunity to take the stand.  Third time lucky perhaps you might say but that is not how the Portuguese Justice System works. Truth is that Mrs Healey may not now have an opportunity to give evidence to the trial.

For his part, Gerry McCann has now appeared at the hearings over two days, he attended last Friday and again yesterday accompanied by Mrs Healey and his sister Patricia Cameron.  Gerry never intended to testify but following a change in the Law (a plaintiff can now give evidence in a libel case) he decided to do so.  Off course all of this might well be academic since it is the Judge who interprets the rulebook as to who will or will not give evidence and she appears to be becoming increasingly irritated at events. Whether Gerry McCann will ultimately be allowed to testify is as yet still to be determined.

And as if it wasn't complicated enough, it now appears that former PJ Coordinator, Gonçalo Amaral, also wants to get in on the act and has applied to testify on his own behalf.  Whether the good Judge will allow it is akin to so much in this case, an unknown quantity.

Finally, it seems the action is not confined to the courtroom if events outside the Palace of Justice yesterday are anything to go by with McCann lawyer Isabel Duarte launching a screaming tirade towards our own correspondent. The reason? Simply because she dared take a photo of the disheveled Duarte and her assistant Ricardo Alfonso.

It wasn't to end there though.  Several hours later this exchange of words took a sinister new twist with Alfonso posting an ominous threat against our correspondent on twitter. One has to wonder is this really the conduct one would expect from professionals involved in such a high profile case?

The McCanns have been plagued throughout their search for Madeleine by incompetents and unprofessional conduct by those they have contracted.  By the looks of it they have managed it all over again. 

[icabodcrane]

Bloody hell  John   ...  what a  shambles

What  'threat'  did the McCann lawyer make to Anne on twitter  ?

[blonk]

Yesterday the mainstream press in Britain referred to Alan Robert Pike as 'a psychologist'.

If indeed there is a 'Comedy of Errors', that was certainly another one.

They should have read Anna Guedes' trial notes, when ARP was questioned by Guerra e Paz:

GP - What exactly is your profession?

AP - Answers he is a ‘Crisis Counsellor’.

GP - Asks whether he is a psychologist?

AP - Says he has some competences in psychology (psychology was one of the elements in his degree).

GP - Asks again "Are you a psychologist?"

AP – Says ‘No’.

[Redblossom]

Totally agree with the OP, bit of a train wreck so far!

.... erroneous observation removed ....

[Redblossom]

SAY  WHAT  !

Are you kidding Red  ?  ...  you must be surely  !

No I am not, and coming from Isabel Duartes own assistant!! The tweet is around somewhere I will see if I can find it

[Lyall]

I somewhat doubt that Anne meant that literally. Perhaps she could post the tweets in question to clarify.

The tweets I saw definitely were not threatening violence. I think Anne just used an over dramatic English word.

I think we should be careful not to allege anybody did make a violent threat.

[Luz]

In Portugal it is legitimate to take pictures of public spaces and whoever are in them, as long as the use of such pictures is not for illegal or criminal purposes.

The definition of public space in the Justice Palace, as well as in any other Tribunal, is every space outside of the court rooms (corridors, lounge, etc) and obviously in the exterior of the building.

Anne did nothing illegal and she is free to use Mrs. Duarte's image in any piece of information she is composing about the case, which is also public.

Mrs. Duarte's assistant threats are illegal and if Anne wishes she can prosecute him for harassment.

[Cariad]

.... remove quote to deleted post ...

You're well aware that the photograph in question was taken outside the building. The above is irrelevant.

[Luz]

Even if it had not been decided to make the trial accessible to the Press, by definition, all areas outside a Court room are public - that's the law.

[Chinagirl]

Why did you say this, John:  Simply because she dared take a photo of the disheveled Duarte

This photo posted here this morning certainly did not show Duarte as "disheveled"!

[Luz]

This whole trial is a parody, it should never have been accepted in a court room, when in a previous trial it was considered that the basic rights of the applicants had not been harmed.

Recently a similar case about a book, Blood Diamonds, was immediately dismissed. The angolan generals, identified in the book as having tortured, enslaved and killed workers in the diamond mines, attempted to sue the journalist that wrote the book, Rafael Marques. The portuguese Public ministry dismissed it because it was considered that the book was covered by the freedom of expression right.

[Cariad]

.... removed deleted quote ...

The photograph was taken outside the building. Duarte was pictured surrounded by Journalists on the court steps. The photo is still available to see on another thread. In fact, you yourself linked to it this morning.

[Luz]

... removed deleted quote ...

Outside the court room, every space is PUBLIC, except WCs obviously.

[Cariad]

I have also taken a screen shot of the forty minute gap around her post where the photograph was posted.

Why? For what purpose?

you're still wrong about the photo in question though. Duarte had a hissy fit about a photo taken outside.

[Carana]

The tweets I saw definitely were not threatening violence. I think Anne just used an over dramatic English word.

I think we should be careful not to allege anybody did make a violent threat.

But some seem to have taken Anne's comment literally.

Not difficult to see how myths are born...