'Why didn't you come when Sean and I cried last night?'

[sadie]

CT'Humm... he was blonde, with a lot of hair, very short, not like mine but a little more, humm... but not like a footballer, do you know what I mean' A style close to shaven. Very short, blonde, the head was very sculptured. The shape of the head was very sculptured, more oval shaped.

DC1485'Yes.

CT'And, humm... then I believe I saw him wearing a blue-grey T-shirt, it was not dark blue, more of a pallid colour and it was, humm... a type of blue with short sleeves, humm... but I did not see anything below, I did not see the trousers or shoes or anything else, only the top part and he would have, I would say'humm, when looking from above, he was not short, I would say he was about a 1'78, about medium height. He was not thing nor was he muscular. So he was of average stature. I would say he was European but not Portuguese. He was not dark and, he was not short, but I would say that he looked Scandinavian if you will, because he was very light and could have been British or Scandinavian. Even though I was looking upwards, he had big eyes, there is nothing else. He did not have tattoos, nothing like this, humm'a person of common appearance, it was his furtiveness that called my attention, humm, no, I can't'

DC1485'Could you give him an age'

CT'Yes, I believe so, I would say that he was between, oh he was not old, 30 to 35, I don't believe that he was older than this.

DC1485'And his aspect'

CT'It was clear, he was light-skinned, he had no freckles, he was not sunburned, he was not dark, nor bronzed from the sun, he was a light colour, not white, white but you know'humm..he was not one who was exposed to the sun.

DC1485'And when he walked, did he have any particular walk or limp'

CT'No, I never really noticed his gait as I only saw him leave the gate. He did not appear incapacitated, hum' he was merely ordinary looking, I did not really look at his walk.

DC1485'You told me he did not have tattoos; was he wearing any jewellery'

CT'No, I did not see any jewellery, no, no he did not have necklaces or rings and as far as I could tell, he did not have earrings.

DC1485'And his T-shirt, you spoke to me about his T-shirt, did it have an inscription'

CT'No, it was a common shirt, without inscriptions, it was light blue in colour, or grey, it could have been grey, mmm.

DC1485'And the T-shirt, did it have buttons or was it simply something that went up to the neck'

CT'No, it went up to the neck and had sleeves, short sleeves, but not straps, of this type, just short sleeves.

DC1485'Yes, and was it loose-fitting'

CT'No it was not snug, it was not loose, it was comfortable.

DC1485'Did it fit him loosely'

CT'It was big but not by much.

DC1485'Yes.

CT'It was simply common, the type of T-shirt one wears on Saturday.

DC1485'Yes, yes.

CT'With inscriptions or anything in general, mmm.

DC'And he was well-shaven'

CT'Yes, yes. "  from Carole Tranmer statement.

Blond man with a lot of hair.  Was there an e-fit like this?  I haven't followed it all the way through but it sort of sounded a bit like Russell O'Brien to me.  Could Russell have popped into the McCann residence to see if Gerry was home?

Nah, 1.78 meters = 5' 10"

Have you seen the height of Russell?

Is Russells hair blond or white, BTW?

[Robittybob1]

I find the detective asking the questions completely befuddled by the situation
"DC1485'This was on Sunday, right'

CT'No, this was on Thursday.

DC1485'This on Thursday, I understand.

CT'This all happened on Thursday.

DC1485'Yes. " 

How could he think it was Sunday and moments later accept it was Thursday?

"CT'We left around 6:30. It was already dusk because at that time of the year, it gets dark quickly in Portugal. We drove to our hotel and arrived at 8:30, eight or 8:30.

DC1485'It was a two hour trip then'

CT'It was about that, mmm, yes, it was a considerable distance."

So the incident happened before 6:30 at least.

"there is a big open terrace'where we would usually go. It is completely open." 
OK nothing blocking the view.

"DC1485'Very good. When you look outside, as you mentioned a while ago, when you spoke of the view at which you were turned when you enter the terrace, tell me, what do you see below that area'

CT' Well, below, if you look right down, there is a street which leads to the supermarket which is at the end of a small' I call it an alley' a long passageway in front of all of the verandas that look towards the pool. There is a hedge which lines the small gates which gave access to the ground-floor apartments and it was through one of these small gates that I saw this person leave. " 
Still only described as one of those gates.

[Robittybob1]

Well it sounds more like the person left from Matt's gate. The first one along the lane.

[Robittybob1]

Have you tried to read Carole's statement, it seems such a confusion it isn't funny.  She was looking down on to the man at the gate. I wonder how accurate anyone would be  at estimating a man's height from that vantage point.
They weren't sure if it was May or April, whether they were on the 2nd floor or the 3rd, and whether the man walked this way or that, and even though she had previously drawn and identikit picture it wasn't the one attached to the file. Previous statement isn't in the file yet it seemed to be present at the rogatory interview.  If there is any proof needed that the case was not being handled correctly this was it.

[Carana]

One of the things I have learned from this case is that every media story should be read with a lorry-load of salt. There was a huge fuss in April 2008. A Spanish TV station, Telecinco, said the PJ had leaked the T9 statements and they had them. They broadcast details of what they contained. The McCanns were in Brussels at the time promoting the Amber Alert system.

Clarence had a phone call from a Spanish journalist who told him that he’d been given what appeared to be witness statements made by Gerry and me to the Portuguese police. The part of my statement in which he was interested was Madeleine’s comment to us on the morning of the day she disappeared: ‘Why didn’t you come when Sean and I cried last night?’ I don’t think I need to remind anyone how I have been tortured by this question since the moment Madeleine was taken from us. My reason for having shared it with the police was plain: it was potentially highly significant. [madeleine]

The UK press ran the story;

Madeleine McCann complained to mother Kate about being left crying alone

Mr Mitchell demanded an internal police inquiry in Portugal into how the leak occurred: "We would be very interested to know what the Portuguese justice minister would say about how this has emerged from the police files on the day that it has, in the way that it has.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/madeleinemccann/1584584/Madeleine-McCann-complained-to-mother-Kate-about-being-left-crying-alone.html

On this occasion the PJ retaliated;

"The PJ want to make it clear that is entirely false that the contents of this report included material from the the Tinquiry which is covered by (the law of) secrecy of justice,"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7347187.stm

Did the TV station have the McCann's statements from the PJ? I think not, because Kate's statement didn't say what she and the TV report said it did. Kate's statement said;

Madeleine asked the interviewee why she had not come to look in the bedroom when the twins were crying.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/KATE-MCCANN.htm

For those who like to suggest that the statements were heard or translated incorrectly, Kate said the same thing to the liaison officers from Leicester on 5th;

Madeleine's revelation about Wednesday night, when she said that she was left alone during the night. She told Kate and Gerry that she remembered the twins crying and that she wanted to know why neither her mother nor her father had gone to the room to see what was happening.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/STEPHEN_MARKLEY.htm

 Kate revealed that Madeleine had spoken with her in the morning of her disappearance and said that she remembered the twins had cried during the night and that she wanted to know why neither her mother or father had appeared.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/JIM_McGARVEY.htm

No, you're right. Both of Kate's statements mention the crying episode, but don't specify Sean. It's actually Gerry's 10 May one that does.

The day MADELEINE disappeared, Thursday, 3 May 2007, they all woke up at the same time between 07H30 and 08H00. While they were taking breakfast MADELEINE addressed the mother and asked her ?why didn't you come last night when S*** and I were crying??. That he thought this comment very strange given that MADELEINE had never had this kind of talk [had never spoken like this] and, the night before, they had maintained the same system of checking on the children, not having detected anything abnormal. When he questioned her about the comment, she left [withdrew herself] without any explanation.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/GERRY-MCCANN-10MAY.htm

[Benice]

No, you're right. Both of Kate's statements mention the crying episode, but don't specify Amelie. It's actually Gerry's 10 May one that does.

The day MADELEINE disappeared, Thursday, 3 May 2007, they all woke up at the same time between 07H30 and 08H00. While they were taking breakfast MADELEINE addressed the mother and asked her ?why didn't you come last night when S*** and I were crying??. That he thought this comment very strange given that MADELEINE had never had this kind of talk [had never spoken like this] and, the night before, they had maintained the same system of checking on the children, not having detected anything abnormal. When he questioned her about the comment, she left [withdrew herself] without any explanation.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/GERRY-MCCANN-10MAY.htm

I suppose it could be that Madeleine actually said ''....when Sean and Amelie were crying'' - and they misheard that as Sean and Me were crying.    Just a thought.

However IMO that is exactly the kind of discrepancy that SY would have no difficulty in clarifying by being able to speak directly to the McCanns and the FLO's about it.   
AIMO

[Carana]

(snip)
One of the things I have learned from this case is that every media story should be read with a lorry-load of salt. There was a huge fuss in April 2008. A Spanish TV station, Telecinco, said the PJ had leaked the T9 statements and they had them. They broadcast details of what they contained. The McCanns were in Brussels at the time promoting the Amber Alert system.

I agree about being sceptical about media reports, particularly in the tabloids. There was sometimes a detail that was accurate, or more often than not half-true and wildy distorted. The PT tabloid blitz on "chosen" extracts from Kate's diary, for example. The so-called DNA evidence...

[G-Unit]

I suppose it could be that Madeleine actually said ''....when Sean and Amelie were crying'' - and they misheard that as Sean and Me were crying.    Just a thought.

However IMO that is exactly the kind of discrepancy that SY would have no difficulty in clarifying by being able to speak directly to the McCanns and the FLO's about it.   
AIMO

If they misheard it on 3rd why did Gerry come up with a new version on 10th? There's a big difference between 'the twins' 'Sean and Amelie' and 'Sean and I'.

The point is that Kate's statements didn't say what Telecinco (and Kate) said they did, therefore they didn't have the statement she gave to the PJ. Therefore the information they had came from elsewhere. 

There was a huge fuss in April 2008. A Spanish TV station, Telecinco, said the PJ had leaked the T9 statements and they had them. They broadcast details of what they contained. The McCanns were in Brussels at the time promoting the Amber Alert system.

Clarence had a phone call from a Spanish journalist who told him that he’d been given what appeared to be witness statements made by Gerry and me to the Portuguese police. The part of my statement in which he was interested was Madeleine’s comment to us on the morning of the day she disappeared: ‘Why didn’t you come when Sean and I cried last night?’ I don’t think I need to remind anyone how I have been tortured by this question since the moment Madeleine was taken from us. My reason for having shared it with the police was plain: it was potentially highly significant. [madeleine]

The UK press ran the story;

Madeleine McCann complained to mother Kate about being left crying alone

Mr Mitchell demanded an internal police inquiry in Portugal into how the leak occurred: "We would be very interested to know what the Portuguese justice minister would say about how this has emerged from the police files on the day that it has, in the way that it has.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/madeleinemccann/1584584/Madeleine-McCann-complained-to-mother-Kate-about-being-left-crying-alone.html

On this occasion the PJ retaliated;

"The PJ want to make it clear that is entirely false that the contents of this report included material from the the Tinquiry which is covered by (the law of) secrecy of justice,"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7347187.stm

Did the TV station have the McCann's statements from the PJ? I think not, because Kate's statement didn't say what she and the TV report said it did. Kate's statement said;

Madeleine asked the interviewee why she had not come to look in the bedroom when the twins were crying.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/KATE-MCCANN.htm

For those who like to suggest that the statements were heard or translated incorrectly, Kate said the same thing to the liaison officers from Leicester on 5th;

Madeleine's revelation about Wednesday night, when she said that she was left alone during the night. She told Kate and Gerry that she remembered the twins crying and that she wanted to know why neither her mother nor her father had gone to the room to see what was happening.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/STEPHEN_MARKLEY.htm

 Kate revealed that Madeleine had spoken with her in the morning of her disappearance and said that she remembered the twins had cried during the night and that she wanted to know why neither her mother or father had appeared.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/JIM_McGARVEY.htm

[Carana]

If they misheard it on 3rd why did Gerry come up with a new version on 10th? There's a big difference between 'the twins' 'Sean and Amelie' and 'Sean and I'.

The point is that Kate's statements didn't say what Telecinco (and Kate) said they did, therefore they didn't have the statement she gave to the PJ. Therefore the information they had came from elsewhere.

Gerry's statement?

[Mr Gray]

readers need to sort the wheat from the chaffe in newspaper reports...in the latest from Clarence re the ECHR.....hes quoted as saying the claim was submitted in July and aknowledged in August which is detail that I dont think would have been included had he had not actually made the quote

[Mr Gray]

If they misheard it on 3rd why did Gerry come up with a new version on 10th? There's a big difference between 'the twins' 'Sean and Amelie' and 'Sean and I'.

The point is that Kate's statements didn't say what Telecinco (and Kate) said they did, therefore they didn't have the statement she gave to the PJ. Therefore the information they had came from elsewhere.

you give the impression taht if you can actually come up with enough discrepancies it actually means something...it doesnt imo. The fact is that this is the first case where the public have been able to read so many statements. is it not a fact that Murat's statement is full of inconsistencies. it is almost certainly quite normal....particuarly the way the stateemnts were taken aand translated. Kate says in her book she wished to correct some things in her earlier statements that had been taken down wrongly but the interpreter seemed very offended

[faithlilly]

you give the impression taht if you can actually come up with enough discrepancies it actually means something...it doesnt imo. The fact is that this is the first case where the public have been able to read so many statements. is it not a fact that Murat's statement is full of inconsistencies. it is almost certainly quite normal....particuarly the way the stateemnts were taken aand translated. Kate says in her book she wished to correct some things in her earlier statements that had been taken down wrongly but the interpreter seemed very offended

She only gave one statement before the September interviews and she had ample opportunity to correct any misunderstandings before she signed it. Further if she did have doubts about the interpreter she had lawyers available who could have raised her concerns with the PJ. She didn't which speaks volumes.

[Mr Gray]

She only gave one statement before the September interviews and she had ample opportunity to correct any misunderstandings before she signed it. Further if she did have doubts about the interpreter she had lawyers available who could have raised her concerns with the PJ. She didn't which speaks volumes.

She could not correct any errors before she signed it because it was written in portuguese..The whole taking of stateemnts was a complete farce in most poeples opinion...an original transcript in English should have been available for obvious reasons

[Carana]

She only gave one statement before the September interviews and she had ample opportunity to correct any misunderstandings before she signed it. Further if she did have doubts about the interpreter she had lawyers available who could have raised her concerns with the PJ. She didn't which speaks volumes.

From her 6 Sept statement (pre-arguida)

Regarding the fact that Madeleine on the next morning, Thursday, during breakfast said to both of them that she had been crying and that nobody had come to her room, she presumes that this crying must have been before she and Gerry returned to the apartment. When she asked Madeleine about this however, the child gave no importance to the matter.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/KATE-MCCANN_ARGUIDO.htm

From the perspective of providing potentially significant information (quite possibly about a doubt as to whether or not someone had been in the flat in the previous evening), isn't the fact that Madeleine had mentioned a crying incident the most important point, as opposed to which of the twins, or both of them, Madeleine mentioned as having cried?

[G-Unit]

you give the impression taht if you can actually come up with enough discrepancies it actually means something...it doesnt imo. The fact is that this is the first case where the public have been able to read so many statements. is it not a fact that Murat's statement is full of inconsistencies. it is almost certainly quite normal....particuarly the way the stateemnts were taken aand translated. Kate says in her book she wished to correct some things in her earlier statements that had been taken down wrongly but the interpreter seemed very offended

Telecinco said they had Kate's police statement but they didn't. If they had it they would have read it out as it appears in the files. They read out something else. Therefore they did not have Kate's police statement. Therefore the PJ didn't leak.