McCann v Gonçalo Amaral Libel Trial in Lisbon - Day 4 (2 witnesses)

[John]

Libel trial Day 4 Witness No 1

Michael Wright (Administrator) evidence.


Libel trial McCann v Gonçalo Amaral - Day 4 Witness No1


20.09.2013 10am. The session starts with a request from the defence concerning a plaintive witness, the President of the Bar Association (bastonário da ordem dos advogados) since 2008, António Marinho Pinto (MP) who was supposed to give evidence this afternoon.

MP was cited as a witness in the libel writ but in January 2012 determined that he would submit a written statement, which was his privilege as bastonário. He was however obliged to inform the Court of his intentions.

On the 20th January 2013, MP declared his wish to waive his right to make a written submission and declared that he would be present to testify in the court room.

At the last minute, MP let the lawyer for the plaintive, Isabel Duarte (ID), know that he had changed his mind. He now wished to deposit a written statement on the basis of his privilege. This change would bring his written statement late to the proceedings and would not afford the defence an opportunity to properly consider his evidence or to put questions to him regarding same.

The judge said MP should have revealed his intention during the 10 legal days so lost his right because he didn't do so. It now falls to the lawyer for the plaintive to ensure that MP appears personally in order to be examined in the final allegations session.


10:30pm The testimony as it happens...

The first witness of the session is Michael Wright, an administrator, whose wife is Kate McCann's cousin. He has known Kate since she was ten years of age and Gerald McCann since 2001. They used to have regular contact.



See pdf for full report.


Important Notice
Readers are warned that this court Report is not a verbatim account of events but is merely a summary. 
As the content is sourced via a third party and although checks are made, the forum cannot guarantee
its veracity.  All reports are made in good faith.

[Lyall]

Ta folks

[Sherlock Holmes]

Excellent work, Anne

Thanks again

[Luz]

Just to express my utmost appreciation for the unbelievable job Anne Guedes (and obviously John, for the editing) is doing, and a very special thanks for the UK Justice Forum for hosting the one and only full and factual report of the Trial.

[Jacinta]

Thank you Anne and John for all your hard work in getting the truth out to us all 

Is Ms Stilwell another witness? She's mentioned in Alan Pike's witness statement.

Jaci x

[John]

Libel trial Day 4 Witness No 2

Maria Isabel Stilwell (Writer and Newspaper Editor) evidence.

Libel trial McCann v Gonçalo Amaral - Day 4 Witness No 2


The testimony as it happened...

 (20.09.2013, 3:30pm) Maria Isabel Stilwell is a writer and the editor of Destak, the first free daily newspaper in Portugal.  She says she interviewed Kate McCann in May 2011 when she launched the Portuguese translation of the book "Madeleine". She only knows Gonçalo Amaral by reputation and has never had any dealings with any of the other defendants. The witness is asked about libel judgements she is or has been part of. She answers that she presently has no process with Gonçalo Amaral. 

The Judge asks if the witness has read Gonçalo Amaral's book.
IS says she has.

The Judge asks whether IS has watched his documentary.
IS says "yes".

The Judge asks whether the witness' public controversial position concerning Gonçalo Amaral will influence her testimony.
IS says her conscience tells her "no", but then adds she hopes it will not.


Download pdf for full Report.


Important Notice
Readers are warned that this court Report is not a verbatim account of events but is merely a summary. 
As the content is sourced via a third party and although checks are made, the forum cannot guarantee
its veracity.  All reports are made in good faith.

[Jacinta]

Thank you John and Anne 

[John]

That concludes the reporting for day 4.

[icabodcrane]

That concludes the reporting for day 4.

John,  you're a star !    ...  half past 3 in the morning  and you're  still  working on the transcripts

Don't think for a minute that your efforts are not hugely appreciated     ...  the UK Justice Forum is head and shoulders above the others that have followed this case for years  because of this exceptional contribution

[Mr Justice K]

Good morning.  I have not contributed for some considerable time but look in occasionally to keep up as best I can.  That said I find the reporting quite exceptional and I too would like to congratulate Anne Guedes and the team for bringing clarity to the libel proceedings.  No doubt without such refreshing insights we would all be destined to read the various manufactured utterings which more often than not passes for professional journalism these days.  Well done chaps.

[Meadow]

Witness Maria Isabel Stilwell

Again, many thanks to you both.  I hope this is not an inappropriate place to ask:

''IS interrupts, but in turn is immediately interrupted by the Judge.
Judge: Let me do this part!
Evidence ends. ''

Is there more to come?   I can sense the witness is hostile, was the judge concluding\stopping her, or session out of time?

[AnneGuedes]

Witness Maria Isabel Stilwell

Again, many thanks to you both.  I hope this is not an inappropriate place to ask:

''IS interrupts, but in turn is immediately interrupted by the Judge.
Judge: Let me do this part!
Evidence ends. ''

Is there more to come?   I can sense the witness is hostile, was the judge concluding\stopping her, or session out of time?

The witness is very talkative, she insisted she had to develop this and that point, regardless of whether those points were related to the trial's defined object. Before the session started, waiting for the judge, she was speaking, speaking and speaking..
From two thirds of that session on, I could feel that everybody was a bit irritated but they managed to keep it under control. The judge, as well, up to a certain point. This is why she's a judge.

[C.Edwards]

The witness is very talkative, she insisted she had to develop this and that point, regardless of whether those points were related to the trial's defined object. Before the session started, waiting for the judge, she was speaking, speaking and speaking..
From two thirds of that session on, I could feel that everybody was a bit irritated but they managed to keep it under control. The judge, as well, up to a certain point. This is why she's a judge.

Thanks Anne. Was this similar to yesterday's comment by Trish Cameron where she seemed keen to get the information out that Kate had compared the final report with Amaral's book and it didn't match, even though she wasn't asked that?

[AnneGuedes]

Thanks Anne. Was this similar to yesterday's comment by Trish Cameron where she seemed keen to get the information out that Kate had compared the final report with Amaral's book and it didn't match, even though she wasn't asked that?

No, it was not. Ms Stilwell arrived as in a conquered territory with the intention to impress with the right Weltanschauung, hers !
Mrs Cameron wasn't at all arrogant, nor dramatic. She was inhabited by the solid notion that a book full of lies was destroying her darling little brother. She likely remembered she hadn't been asked what, for her, was summing up everything :  Kate had told that what was in the files had nothing to do with what was in the book. 

[C.Edwards]

No, it was not. Ms Stilwell arrived as in a conquered territory with the intention to impress with the right Weltanschauung, hers !
Mrs Cameron wasn't at all arrogant, nor dramatic. She was inhabited by the solid notion that a book full of lies was destroying her darling little brother. She likely remembered she hadn't been asked what, for her, was summing up everything :  Kate had told that what was in the files had nothing to do with what was in the book.

OK, thanks. I just got the impression from the transcript that she was very keen to get that bit heard!