Gerry and Jez chat while Jane walks by. Seconds later she spots Tannerman!

[faithlilly]

@ John

Wilkins, even in the drawing you have reproduced, places himself on the right side of the road as you walk towards the reception.

[John]

Agreed, which translates as this...     Could Tanner still have passed by in the semi darkness?

[sadie]

Are these the balconies you are referring to sadie?

Yep, thankyou John.  I measured the edge of the balcony from the buildings front wall, on GE, and some levels are set back a metre and a half from the front of the building.

Unhappily I dont know how to post a captured image from GE or I could explain things much better with letters to indicate positions.

I have to get lunch now and probably snooze afterwards

[Redblossom]

I am not following you John. But, no matter. Here is a snippet from Mr Wilkins' last statement.



As he approached the corner of the McCanns apartment, he saw Gerry appear from the area of the gate. He crossed the road and engaged in general conversation with Gerry. At this time they were stood with Gerry's back to the building near to the gate and Jeremy facing him. Rua Dr Agostino was about 10-15 meters to his right and the pathway leading to the front of the apartment blocks about 5 meters to his left.

Edited.

[sadie]

In his statement Mr McCann said that he met Wilkins some 10 metres down from the patio gate and crossed the road to chat to him so they can't both be right ???

And another point worthy of note is that Wilkins said that Gerry appeared to have come from the steps at the patio gate inferring that he had just come from the apartment via the patio entrance. Some people seem to be under the illusion that Gerry walked all the way round to the front door when all he had to do was nip up to the unlocked patio door.  Is there an issue here that some posters are confusing the back and the front of apartment 5a?

The back of the apartment is where the sliding patio door is which faces the tapas bar. The same door which Matthew used to enter the apartment at 9.10ish. Gerry had no reason to make the much longer journey up to the top of the street and have to use a key to access via the front door.

Can I just say that I appreciate your analytical mind and concise words.  However, in this post you have the time of Matthews visit incorrect. 

Gerry was in 5A at about 9.10.  Matt visited later; cant remember the exact time

[sadie]

@ John

Wilkins, even in the drawing you have reproduced, places himself on the right side of the road as you walk towards the reception.

Yep but on the left looking up the road, which matches the image John has kindly givenus.

[John]

I am not following you John. But, no matter. Here is a snippet from Mr Wilkins' last statement.



As he approached the corner of the McCanns apartment, he saw Gerry appear from the area of the gate. He crossed the road and engaged in general conversation with Gerry. At this time they were stood with Gerry's back to the building near to the gate and Jeremy facing him. Rua Dr Agostino was about 10-15 meters to his right and the pathway leading to the front of the apartment blocks about 5 meters to his left.

Edited.

Ok, so if we interpolate between those comments and the hand-drawn map we get to the layout I have already posted.  Gerry had left the area of the gate and had been walking down the path.  Wilkins then crosses the road to converse with him.   Tanner slips by on the footpath not wanting to disturb their conversation.

[Redblossom]

John, I have lost the plot and the point of the thread perhaps then. Are you trying to say Jane Tanner did or didn't pass them both on the same side of the road? Mr Wilkins stated the chat took place on the pathway, not on the road. If Jane Tanner did pass them, she is the one who would have had to step out on the road?

[faithlilly]

@ John

Funnily enough your graphic shows very well why it would have been impossible for Wilkins and Gerry not to see Tanner if they were all stood on the pathway as Tanner and Wilkins describe.

If you look at the family at the top of the photograph you can see by the two figures at the back just how much room two people take up on the narrow pavement and how impossible it would have been for Tanner to 'slip by ' unnoticed.

[ferryman]

I disagree.

I think it's entirely possible for two people deeply engrossed in conversation not to see or notice a third person passing by ...

[faithlilly]

I disagree.

I think it's entirely possible for two people deeply engrossed in conversation not to see or notice a third person passing by ...

Not on such a narrow pavement, see John's graphic, and not when the third person is wearing flip flops.

[John]

The point of the thread is to pull together everyone views and to ultimately arrive at some sort of a consensus so that this event can be put into context with the rest of the evenings events.

One must always remember that it was dark with shadows and sodium street lighting, it was not bright daylight as shown on the photo.

[faithlilly]

@ John

So do you believe it was light enough for Tanner to see at 5m the pattern on the child's pjs that the man was carrying yet not light enough for Gerry and Jez to see Tanner 50cm away ?

[sadie]

I am not following you John. But, no matter. Here is a snippet from Mr Wilkins' last statement.



As he approached the corner of the McCanns apartment, he saw Gerry appear from the area of the gate. He crossed the road and engaged in general conversation with Gerry. At this time they were stood with Gerry's back to the building near to the gate and Jeremy facing him. Rua Dr Agostino was about 10-15 meters to his right and the pathway leading to the front of the apartment blocks about 5 meters to his left.

Edited.

Ok, so if we interpolate between those comments and the hand-drawn map we get to the layout I have already posted.  Gerry had left the area of the gate and had been walking down the path.  Wilkins then crosses the road to converse with him.   Tanner slips by on the footpath not wanting to disturb their conversation.

Exactly John.

[sadie]

I am not following you John. But, no matter. Here is a snippet from Mr Wilkins' last statement.



As he approached the corner of the McCanns apartment, he saw Gerry appear from the area of the gate. He crossed the road and engaged in general conversation with Gerry. At this time they were stood with Gerry's back to the building near to the gate and Jeremy facing him. Rua Dr Agostino was about 10-15 meters to his right and the pathway leading to the front of the apartment blocks about 5 meters to his left.

Edited.

Where did you get that from Blossom?

10 metres + 5 metres = 15 metres overall

Measured on GE, it is 30 metres



Come on!

I for one, take no notice of that.