In some parts of Scotland the word "Jemmied", is used to mean, forced.
However in most cases of forced entry, a Jemmy would have been used. A bit like saying that hammer or hammered, does not always involve the use of a hammer.
I believe it was a friend or family member of Gerry's who supposedly, used this expression.
It was two relatives and two friends, all of whom were telephoned by one of the McCanns and told the same story. I can think of no reason why four people would tell the same story if they invented it.
Trish Cameron told the Mirror what her brother said when he phoned her;
The door was open and the window in the bedroom and shutters were jemmied open. Nothing had been touched and no valuables taken."
Jon Corner spoke to Kate;
"Kate said the shutters of the room were smashed. Madeleine was missing
Jill Renwick told GMTV what Kate told her;
"Poor Kate and Gerry don't know where to turn. She's obviously been taken as she couldn't have gone out on her own and the shutters had been forced open."
"The shutters had been broken open and they've gone into the room and taken her."
Brian Healy was told the same story by Gerald;
"Gerry told me when they went back the shutters to the room were broken, they were jemmied up and she was gone," said Mr Healy. "She'd been taken from the chalet. The door was open."
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id31.htmlA crowbar, wrecking bar, pry bar, or prybar, pinch-bar or sometimes a prise bar, prisebar, and more informally a jimmy, jimmy bar,
jemmy or PikiPiki [1] or gooseneck is a tool consisting of a metal bar with a single curved end and flattened points, often with a small fissure on one or both ends for removing nails. In Britain, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia, due to the influence of American TV "crowbar" may occasionally be used loosely for this tool, but it is still mainly used to mean a larger straighter tool, its original English meaning (see digging bar). The term
jemmy or jimmy most often refers to the tool when used for burglary.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowbar_(tool)