Has Martin Smith Changed his Opinion ?

[stephen25000]

Under Nicola Wall, the British side of the enquiry has been taciturn.


The PJ have not said much, either.

Exactly as the shelved enquiry ought to have been conducted.

Which will be shelved again.

[pegasus]

Under Nicola Wall, the British side of the enquiry has been taciturn.

The PJ have not said much, either.

Exactly as the shelved enquiry ought to have been conducted.

Yes very taciturn. All we have is a few photos of an initial visit to Portugal, and an FOI response. But IMO this boss might solve it - with all that excellent experience in the London area, for example a case where the police got exit time completely wrong, and a case of transportation by pedestrian. 

[Alice Purjorick]

What you posted seems to have no bearing on either question of when the efits were handed to Scotland Yard or why Scotland Yard chose the moment they did (the Crimewatch programme) to release the efits into the public domain.

And the answer (to the opening post) is that it is the height of absurdity to suppose he would have produced an efit of a man he thought was Gerry; the height of implausibility to suppose that (now) Martin Smith still thinks he saw Gerry while his wife, Mary, publicly declares her support for the McCanns ....

I'll make it easy for you.
Your proposition is that Martin Smith changed his mind. So we can put three stakes in the ground.
You concur it was not before Jan 2008 ................stake 1
The process was live until July 2008 so it is unlikely to be before that otherwise he would have
notified the cops and it would be on file  ................................................. stake 2
Oakley were elbowed in Aug 2008 ....................... stake 3.

Now if the Smiths took part in efits that were at the behest of Oakley it would have been between stakes 2 and 3 ie July/August 2008 which likely would also be when he changed his mind if your proposition is correct. Quite why he changed his mind (if indeed he did) is open to speculation.
So the efits were  produced by end August 2008 (if by Oakley) and "were in the possession of the police" about September 2009, if we are to believe the Times apology. The force dealing with the case at that time was Leicestershire Constabulary, O.G not being in existence. Presumably The Met released the efits when O.G ceased to be a review and became an investigation which was roughly Q4 2013.

[ferryman]

I'll make it easy for you.
Your proposition is that Martin Smith changed his mind. So we can put three stakes in the ground.
You concur it was not before Jan 2008 ................stake 1
The process was live until July 2008 so it is unlikely to be before that otherwise he would have
notified the cops and it would be on file  ................................................. stake 2
Oakley were elbowed in Aug 2008 ....................... stake 3.

Now if the Smiths took part in efits that were at the behest of Oakley it would have been between stakes 2 and 3 ie July/August 2008 which likely would also be when he changed his mind if your proposition is correct. Quite why he changed his mind (if indeed he did) is open to speculation.
So the efits were  produced by end August 2008 (if by Oakley) and "were in the possession of the police" about September 2009, if we are to believe the Times apology. The force dealing with the case at that time was Leicestershire Constabulary, O.G not being in existence. Presumably The Met released the efits when O.G ceased to be a review and became an investigation which was roughly Q4 2013.

Make it easy?

Not so sure about that.

The facts:

At the end of January 2008, Mr Smith still believed he might have seen Gerry. 

Mr Smith's wife (then!) also believed she might have seen Gerry.

None of Mr Smith's children (then as now) believed the same.  (Mr Smith was honest enough to acknowledge the last point in his statement to Irish Gardia police at the end of January).

At the end of January, Mr Smith was approached by Brian Kennedy, representing the McCanns, invited to produce an efit, but refused.

It is plain common sense that all the time Mr Smith believed he might have seen Gerry, he would refuse (to produce an efit).

At some point between the end of January and the Crimewatch programme, Mr Smith changed his mind and agreed to produce an e-fit, as did his wife who (we now know) produced the second efit.

Why did Martin Smith change his mind?

It can only have been because he no longer believes the man he and his family all saw that night was Gerry.

So the answer to the opening post (of this thread) is yes!

[G-Unit]

Make it easy?

Not so sure about that.

The facts:

At the end of January 2008, Mr Smith still believed he might have seen Gerry. 

Mr Smith's wife (then!) also believed she might have seen Gerry.

None of Mr Smith's children (then as now) believed the same.  (Mr Smith was honest enough to acknowledge the last point in his statement to Irish Gardia police at the end of January).

At the end of January, Mr Smith was approached by Brian Kennedy, representing the McCanns, invited to produce an efit, but refused.

It is plain common sense that all the time Mr Smith believed he might have seen Gerry, he would refuse (to produce an efit).

At some point between the end of January and the Crimewatch programme, Mr Smith changed his mind and agreed to produce an e-fit, as did his wife who (we now know) produced the second efit.

Why did Martin Smith change his mind?

It can only have been because he no longer believes the man he and his family all saw that night was Gerry.

So the answer to the opening post (of this thread) is yes!

Saying something over and over and over and over again still doesn't make it true. There is no verification that Smith changed his mind or that he and his wife helped to produce e-fits.

[ferryman]

Saying something over and over and over and over again still doesn't make it true. There is no verification that Smith changed his mind or that he and his wife helped to produce e-fits.

Provide a logical explanation of why Martin Smith would have produced an efit of a man he thought was Gerry ...

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/madeleine-mccann-key-witness-accuses-2433328

Retired businessman Martin Smith, 64, provided details for an e-fit of the prime suspect after spotting the mystery man carrying a child at 10pm close to where the three-year-old vanished more than six years ago.

[mercury]

Provide a logical explanation of why Martin Smith would have produced an efit of a man he thought was Gerry ...

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/madeleine-mccann-key-witness-accuses-2433328

Retired businessman Martin Smith, 64, provided details for an e-fit of the prime suspect after spotting the mystery man carrying a child at 10pm close to where the three-year-old vanished more than six years ago.

It doesnt matter as he never got a good look in the dark anyway...what matters is that the mccanns kept it quiet for a year from the police...imo that is odd

[ferryman]

It doesnt matter as he never got a good look in the dark anyway...what matters is that the mccanns kept it quiet for a year from the police...imo that is odd

You really can't gauge statements taken in reported form, especially given in one in language, translated into another, then re-translated into the (English!) form we read on line ....

[mercury]

Same reason the arguidos and their "spokesman"  thought they ran the investigation imo, as they did from almost day one...i remember gerrys brother sayng in some interview the police are welcome to join them in their intiatives

height of arrogance or funny way glaswegians express themselves....

not forgetting he foresaw the need for private investigators if the police case was closed as early as the fund launch mid may!!! Must have had a crystal ball

[ferryman]

You're bound to concede, almost anyone might have run an investigation better than Amaral ....

[mercury]

You're bound to concede, almost anyone might have run an investigation better than Amaral ....

Extremely poor apologist remark, wonder how you would do lol

[Alice Purjorick]

Make it easy?

Not so sure about that.

The facts:

At the end of January 2008, Mr Smith still believed he might have seen Gerry. 

Mr Smith's wife (then!) also believed she might have seen Gerry.

None of Mr Smith's children (then as now) believed the same.  (Mr Smith was honest enough to acknowledge the last point in his statement to Irish Gardia police at the end of January).

At the end of January, Mr Smith was approached by Brian Kennedy, representing the McCanns, invited to produce an efit, but refused.

It is plain common sense that all the time Mr Smith believed he might have seen Gerry, he would refuse (to produce an efit).

At some point between the end of January and the Crimewatch programme, Mr Smith changed his mind and agreed to produce an e-fit, as did his wife who (we now know) produced the second efit.

Why did Martin Smith change his mind?

It can only have been because he no longer believes the man he and his family all saw that night was Gerry.

So the answer to the opening post (of this thread) is yes!

One can only speak for oneself of course but my reaction under those circumstances when a police investigation was ongoing would be F.O. and sit on a sharp stick or I'll call a real policeman.
Your proposition is based on a gross assumption.

[ferryman]

So you agree that Martin Smith has changed his mind?

That's good ....

[mercury]

One can only speak for oneself of course but my reaction under those circumstances when a police investigation was ongoing would be F.O. and sit on a sharp stick or I'll call a real policeman.
Your proposition is based on a gross assumption.

Me too, some heavies called PIs come to your door, with no authority, the poor man might also havebeen threatened, wouldnt put it past these types

[ferryman]

So you don't think Martin Smith (or his wife) might have spoken out since if that had happened?

And (assuming that speculation to be right) you don't find it odd that Mrs Smith is on record (since release of the files) as saying that they are full-square behind the McCanns?