Has the discrepancy been discussed before - "did Kate enter by the front door"?

[Carana]

We've tackled this topic several times, but I do agree an English version should have been produced at the time.

Some still insist that an English written translation of the PT reported speech version somehow got magically instantaneously translated for the witnesses to read prior to signing. How on earth that was supposed to happen in real time is beyond my limited imagination.

I'm not even certain that the interpreters read out the PT version in all instances, although I can accept that they may have done.

But you're still signing on the dotted line and have to just hope the interpreter is accurate. To be fair to the lady, she may have just been someone that someone knew who had a working knowledge of English through her job.

It's equally possible that, in the eary rush, that they weren't. I don't have Kate's book to hand to see if the early ones were read back or not and I can't find anything conclusive in the files beyond the standard "reads, ratifies and signs" blurb.

As an aside, in one of Russell's rog sessions (when the recording didn't work, I think), someone typed up a statement, presumably from notes, and he went over the wording with a fine-toothed comb... and that was all in English.

[Mr Gray]

Some still insist that an English written translation of the PT reported speech version somehow got magically instantaneously translated for the witnesses to read prior to signing. How on earth that was supposed to happen in real time is beyond my limited imagination.

I'm not even certain that the interpreters read out the PT version in all instances, although I can accept that they may have done.

But you're still signing on the dotted line and have to just hope the interpreter is accurate. To be fair to the lady, she may have just been someone that someone knew who had a working knowledge of English through her job.

It's equally possible that, in the eary rush, that they weren't. I don't have Kate's book to hand to see if the early ones were read back or not and I can't find anything conclusive in the files beyond the standard "reads, ratifies and signs" blurb.

As an aside, in one of Russell's rog sessions (when the recording didn't work, I think), someone typed up a statement, presumably from notes, and he went over the wording with a fine-toothed comb... and that was all in English.

Reads... Ratifies  and signs
That just about admits the fallacy.... They couldn't possibly  read  it

[Carana]

Then that's what Gerry would have said surely ?

We don't know what he actually said, nor what the inspector or the interpreter assumed he was referring to.

The inspector could have added "using a key" simply because he had made a note that one (back or front) needed a key and the other (back or front) didn't, and he thought he'd got it right so added it himself for clarification, but was simply mistaken.

[Brietta]

Some still insist that an English written translation of the PT reported speech version somehow got magically instantaneously translated for the witnesses to read prior to signing. How on earth that was supposed to happen in real time is beyond my limited imagination.

I'm not even certain that the interpreters read out the PT version in all instances, although I can accept that they may have done.

But you're still signing on the dotted line and have to just hope the interpreter is accurate. To be fair to the lady, she may have just been someone that someone knew who had a working knowledge of English through her job.

It's equally possible that, in the eary rush, that they weren't. I don't have Kate's book to hand to see if the early ones were read back or not and I can't find anything conclusive in the files beyond the standard "reads, ratifies and signs" blurb.

As an aside, in one of Russell's rog sessions (when the recording didn't work, I think), someone typed up a statement, presumably from notes, and he went over the wording with a fine-toothed comb... and that was all in English.

Perhaps Russell had learned from experience the importance of checking every syllable he uttered?

[Carana]

Reads... Ratifies  and signs
That just about admits the fallacy.... They couldn't possibly  read  it

Well that could be why some posters assumed that what was signed must have been in English. The police had a lot of interviews to squash in as fast as possible, and were short of people who spoke English, let alone well enough to write up an instant translation.

And even if there had been a secretary with shorthand, that wouldn't have been much good in a foreign language AFAIK if it's sound-based.

[jassi]

We don't know what he actually said, nor what the inspector or the interpreter assumed he was referring to.

The inspector could have added "using a key" simply because he had made a note that one (back or front) needed a key and the other (back or front) didn't, and he thought he'd got it right so added it himself for clarification, but was simply mistaken.

Although there is nothing to actually suggest this was the case. Merely your determination to make it so.

[Mr Gray]

Although there is nothing to actually suggest this was the case. Merely your determination to make it so.

The fact is no one knows what was actually  in those statement s because there is no accurate  record... No one can claim as, a fact that they are accurate

[Carana]

Although there is nothing to actually suggest this was the case. Merely your determination to make it so.

No, I posted the 3 possibilities, and that's the only one that makes sense to me, plus the fact that I have experience of how such screw-ups can occur. Whether that's what actually happened or not, I don't know, I wasn't there.

ETA

Let's put it another way: can anyone think of a reasonable explanation as to why Gerry would have taken the long route (while also stating that Matt had gone in via the unlocked verandah) or why he would have lied?

[Carana]

Perhaps Russell had learned from experience the importance of checking every syllable he uttered?

That was my conclusion... ;)

[Mr Gray]

That was my conclusion... ;)

And perhaps it was the innaccuracies in the previous statements that made him wary

[Eleanor]

Although there is nothing to actually suggest this was the case. Merely your determination to make it so.

I did so prefer this Forum when I should not have to consider your last few words.  Which I should delete.  But I am not going to.
I have had enough of this rubbish.  None of you will get Political Correctness from me.

[jassi]

I did so prefer this Forum when I should not have to consider your last few words.  Which I should delete.  But I am not going to.
I have had enough of this rubbish.  None of you will get Political Correctness from me.

Funnily enough, so have I

[Carana]

And perhaps it was the innaccuracies in the previous statements that made him wary

A few other people stated that there were inaccuracies in their statements, but I just don't feel like wading through them all to find them again at the moment.

It happens. I already mentioned an anecdote of when I went to a police station in a country in which I didn't understand the language at the time and someone interpreted for me. I stumbled on the statement many years later clearing out files and loads of it was quite simply wrong. At the time, I just scanned through it before signing, as I was only interested in three details (my name and the word "passport" being two of them) so that I could get the ball rolling.

[Carana]

And perhaps it was the innaccuracies in the previous statements that made him wary

Dunno. It could also be tabloid hacks who have a tendency to get things muddled, plus all the rogs start with agreeing with some statement or other and it's not clear what that actually was. The legal implications probably, but possibly also that their rogs would be part of the PJ files and thus potentially made public.

And don't forget that hacks were down wherever he was expecting him to be arrested at any moment, so I guess he had reason to be a bit pissed off.

[Eleanor]

Funnily enough, so have I

And so have most of us, who can't be bothered to get offended by ill chosen words.