Jane Tanner's statements re: Murat made public in 2007

[Robittybob1]

You need to spend an hour reading through the thread Brietta posted the link to, that should help.

It was a most interesting couple of hours and some important observations by Pegasus.

[Robittybob1]

Apart from the first 2 sentences, pure opinion.

And the first two sentences were wrong.

[ferryman]

Statement dated 30 January, 2008:

Detective Branch
Drogheda
County Lough

Re – Investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann

I took an additional statement from Mr Smith as requested. His wife does not want to make another statement. I showed him the video clip and he stated that it was not the clip that alerted him but the BBC news at 10 PM on 9th September 2007.

He has been contacted by numerous tabloid press looking for stories. He has been contacted by Mr Brian Kennedy who is supporting the McCann family to take part in a photo fit exercise. He has given no stories or helped in any photo fits. He sent a solicitor's letter to six papers in relation material that was printed that was misquoted. The Evening Herald paid his solicitor's fees and all papers printed an apology. His photograph appeared in another tabloid paper and this matter is being pursued at the moment.

I do not believe that Martin Smith is courting the press and my view his is a genuine person. He is known locally and is a very decent person.

Forwarded please

Sergeant

Liam Hogan

I hereby declare that this statement is true to the best of my knowledge and belief and that I make it knowing that if it is tendered in evidence I will be liable to prosecution if i state in it anything which I know to be false or do not believe to be true.


I would like to state that the statement I made on 26th May 2007 in Portugal is correct. The description of the individual that I saw on 3rd May 2007 carrying a child is as follows. He was average build, 5 foot 10' in height, brown hair cut short, aged 40 years approximately. Wearing beige trousers and darkish top maybe a jacket or blazer. He had a full head of hair with a tight cut. This individual was alone. I saw Gerard McCann (sic) going down the plane stairs carrying one of his children on 9th September 2007 BBC news at 10 PM, I have been shown the video clip by Sergeant Hogan which I recognise. A clip I have seen before on the Internet. In relation to the video clips of Gerard McCann and the person I saw on 3rd May 2007 when I saw the BBC news at 10 PM on 9th September 2007 something struck me that it could have been the same person. It was the way Gerard McCann turned his head down which was similar to what the individual did on 3rd May 2007 when we met him. It may have been the way he was carrying the child either. I would be 60-80% sure that it was Gerard McCann that I met that night carrying a child. I am basing that on his mannerism in the way he carried the child off the plane. After seeing the BBC news at 10 PM, footage on the 9th September 2007 I contacted Leicestershire police with this information. During that time I spoke to all my family members who were with me on the night of 3rd May 2007 about this and the only one who felt the same way as me was my wife. She had seen the video clip of Gerard McCann walking down the stairs of the plane earlier that day. We did not discuss this until some days later. This statement has been read over to me and is correct.

No efits produced at the end of January 2008

[Robittybob1]

It needs a modicum of intelligence to appreciate that the Smiths would not produce an efit of a man they thought was Gerry.

Would you like to explain why then please?

[ferryman]

Would you like to explain why then please?

Gerry is not in need of identification.

[Robittybob1]

There really is no mystery. 

Martin Smith was approached by Brian Kennedy to produce an efit at a point when he believed, still, that he might have seen Gerry.

Very obviously, he declined.

Why would anyone produce an efit of a man they thought was Gerry?

It was at, or towards, the end of the first (shelved) enquiry that Mr Smith realised he had been honestly mistaken to suppose he had seen Gerry, and accordingly, he agreed to produce the efit.

Now, this is the bit where everyone shrieks, but the fact remains that the Smiths, Martin and his wife Mary, (eventually) produced two efits of the same man the Smiths all saw that evening.

Those efits (in effect) accuse someone (at that juncture unnamed) of having an appearance matching the appearance of someone, at least potentially, Madeleine's abductor.

Releasing such images of (potentially) a key figure in events (Madeleine's abductor) needed the backdrop of a live and ongoing police enquiry to release it.

Scotland Yard were, themselves, in possession of the efits for a considerable time before they released the efits into the public domain.

It isn't rocket-science.

"There really is no mystery." Wrong; there definitely is.

"Martin Smith was approached by Brian Kennedy to produce an efit at a point when he believed, still, that he might have seen Gerry."  So do you know when Brian Kennedy first approached the Smiths? 

[ferryman]

"There really is no mystery." Wrong; there definitely is.

"Martin Smith was approached by Brian Kennedy to produce an efit at a point when he believed, still, that he might have seen Gerry."  So do you know when Brian Kennedy first approached the Smiths?

30 January 2008

[jassi]

Not that I mind, but we seem to have drifted somewhat from the thread title 

[Robittybob1]

30 January 2008

Based on what evidence?  Was it a personal communication?

[ferryman]

Based on what evidence?  Was it a personal communication?

Martin Smith gave a statement on 30 January 2008 stating that he had given no efits.

[Robittybob1]

Martin Smith gave a statement on 30 January 2008 stating that he had given no efits.

Was that the same statement where he says Brian Kennedy had already been in touch.  So back to my original question: how much earlier was that contact? 

[Brietta]

Was that the same statement where he says Brian Kennedy had already been in touch.  So back to my original question: how much earlier was that contact?

Please may we post on topic.

       Reminder: Jane Tanner ~ Robert Murat ~ and alleged statements

Off topic posts will be deleted and there is always the off chance a gem might be lost to posterity ... highly unlikely, I know, but one never knows.

                                         Thank you

[ShiningInLuz]

— Urged, he states that the individual did not appear to be a tourist. He cannot explain this further. It was simply his perception given the individual's clothing. He states that the individual carried the child in his arms, with her head laying on the individual's left shoulder, that being to the right of the deponent. He adds that he did not hold the child in a comfortable position, suggesting [the carrying] not being habitual.

(PJ Statement)

I stand corrected.  Mea culpa.

Thank you.

Now I have a different problem.  The left and the right do not appear to fit the photo reconstruction.  I guess I need to go back and check the originals in Portuguese.

Hmmm.

[misty]

It was a most interesting couple of hours and some important observations by Pegasus.

Which ones in particular?

[Robittybob1]

Which ones in particular?

They would be off topic here but I posted one in http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=7805.msg376822#msg376822