The Smith sighting revisited.

[misty]

But it definitely wasn't Mr Murat according to Martin Smith ... he was certain of that despite not knowing him personally, only by sight; no spectacles; poor lighting; one or two refreshments taken.

There are rather a lot of witness statements in the file which state that "Mr Murat definitely wasn't there"  that night - one wonders why the PJ felt the need to keep asking that question, especially as the parents were already numero uno suspects according to the lead detective.

[John]

OMG, that's hilarious.   

Not in the least.  Irish people have a tendency to pass the time of day with strangers so nothing strange in Mrs Smith greeting the child-carrying stranger.  Not everyone lives in an environment where nobody knows their neighbours or speak to people in the street.

[Brietta]

I don't know my next door neighbor personally but I can identify him. What's so strange about that?!!!!

Perhaps you should read what Martin Smith has to say in the files ... he seemed to be quite keen to labour the point, so if you find it strange perhaps he is the one to whom you should direct your statement!!!!

[misty]

30 minutes in the bar not 20.

Pay the bill at 9.29pm
Leave restaurant, with family, walk to bar, say 3mins.
Order drinks & receive them - another 2 mins
9.34.
Drinking after a meal - takes a little longer to down a pint or whatever.
9.44
Order more drinks 9.46.
Do you think they were out of that bar by 10pm, cos I don't.

[John]

I don't know my next door neighbor personally but I can identify him. What's so strange about that?!!!!

Exactly, I recognise many people daily but have never spoken to them.  Martin Smith's comment re Murat was just the same, he was aware of him but that's all.

[Alfred R Jones]

Not in the least.  Irish people have a tendency to pass the time of day with strangers so nothing strange in Mrs Smith greeting the child-carrying stranger.  Not everyone lives in an environment where nobody knows their neighbours or speak to people in the street.

Firstly, you assume you know me, my background, and that I have no experience of Irish culture.   I have plenty of experience of Irish culture, so you are quite wrong on that score I assure you.  Mrs Smith was not in a position to be passing the time of day with someone who had not met her gaze and was hurrying past.  I could well imagine her saying "good evening" or some such (being Irish, maybe it would have been "Top of the Evening to you, to be sure!") but not "is your child asleep?"  It strikes me as an odd thing to ask someone who is hurrying past you.  If you don't agree, fine.

[pathfinder73]

Pay the bill at 9.29pm
Leave restaurant, with family, walk to bar, say 3mins.
Order drinks & receive them - another 2 mins
9.34.
Drinking after a meal - takes a little longer to down a pint or whatever.
9.44
Order more drinks 9.46.
Do you think they were out of that bar by 10pm, cos I don't.

You weren't there. Aoife was and she signed a statement saying she knew it was 10pm when they left. 9:27 Dolphin receipt time.

[misty]

You weren't there. Aoife was and she signed a statement saying she knew it was 10pm when they left. 9:27 Dolphin receipt time.

But was Aoife 100% sure this was the same night she saw Smithman? They ate at the Dolphin on several occasions (according to the Mail report) and in her own ststement Aoife said they always went to the bar afterwards.
The young children were "so distressed" they had to sleep in the grandparents' room for the rest of the holiday - yet the sighting of that rude lonesome man carrying a child on the Thursday night failed to trigger the relevant memory of a single Smith at the time????
Smithman does NOT exist.

[pathfinder73]

But was Aoife 100% sure this was the same night she saw Smithman? They ate at the Dolphin on several occasions (according to the Mail report) and in her own ststement Aoife said they always went to the bar afterwards.
The young children were "so distressed" they had to sleep in the grandparents' room for the rest of the holiday - yet the sighting of that rude lonesome man carrying a child on the Thursday night failed to trigger the relevant memory of a single Smith at the time????
Smithman does NOT exist.

Yes Aoife was sure about the date because some were flying back home the next morning.

Questioned, she responds that she knows the time that they left because her father and her brother decided to leave early that night. There were two reasons for this: one was the fact that her sister-in-law was not feeling very well and the other was because her brother, sister-in-law, nephew and son of her sister-in-law finished their holiday the next day and had to catch the morning flight returning to Ireland. (AS)

Smithman does not exist? Oh yes he does! 9 eye witnesses saw him pass.

[misty]

Yes Aoife was sure about the date because some were flying back home the next morning.

Questioned, she responds that she knows the time that they left because her father and her brother decided to leave early that night. There were two reasons for this: one was the fact that her sister-in-law was not feeling very well and the other was because her brother, sister-in-law, nephew and son of her sister-in-law finished their holiday the next day and had to catch the morning flight returning to Ireland. (AS)

Smithman does not exist? Oh yes he does! 9 eye witnesses saw him pass.

He hasn't come forward, though, has he? Maybe the Smiths got the wrong night....or the wrong time.
Such a pity that pesky CCTV tape at Estrela da Luz was wiped.....that would have probably shown him if he had walked the route from OC that GA believed......

[Wonderfulspam]

Firstly, you assume you know me, my background, and that I have no experience of Irish culture.   I have plenty of experience of Irish culture, so you are quite wrong on that score I assure you.  Mrs Smith was not in a position to be passing the time of day with someone who had not met her gaze and was hurrying past.  I could well imagine her saying "good evening" or some such (being Irish, maybe it would have been "Top of the Evening to you, to be sure!") but not "is your child asleep?"  It strikes me as an odd thing to ask someone who is hurrying past you.  If you don't agree, fine.

She didn't say.. "is your child asleep?" 

Did she, Alfred?

You are having to misquote, because it's obvious who Smithman was.

[Wonderfulspam]

He hasn't come forward, though, has he? Maybe the Smiths got the wrong night....or the wrong time.
Such a pity that pesky CCTV tape at Estrela da Luz was wiped.....that would have probably shown him if he had walked the route from OC that GA believed......

CCTV wouldn't have recorded him anyway, because Smithman was just a figment of the Smith family's collective imagination, wasn't he.

[Brietta]

He hasn't come forward, though, has he? Maybe the Smiths got the wrong night....or the wrong time.
Such a pity that pesky CCTV tape at Estrela da Luz was wiped.....that would have probably shown him if he had walked the route from OC that GA believed......

It would certainly have caught images of the Smith family returning.

[Brietta]

CCTV wouldn't have recorded him anyway, because Smithman was just a figment of the Smith family's collective imagination, wasn't he.

Is that the conclusion you have arrived at WS?  That should merit a post or two.

[misty]

It would certainly have caught images of the Smith family returning.

Excellent point, Brietta - vital to the Smith's timeline. And Amaral's.