Local
family may have seen missing Maddy
Drogheda Independent - 06.06.2007
A
DROGHEDA family may have been the last people to see abducted
four-year-old Madeleine McCann in Portugal.
The
family is understood to have seen a child in the arms of a man on the
night and at the time Madeleine was taken from her parents'
apartments in Praia Da Luz.
They
have reported the matter and recently gave statements to the
Portuguese police.
The
Portuguese police have asked the family not to speak to the press in
case they compromise their investigations.
The
family declined to give any details to the Drogheda Independent.
Portuguese
police are convinced that the child, who vanished during a family
holiday in the Algarve on May 3, was abducted.
A
number of Drogheda-based families holiday in the nearby Estrela Da
Luz apartments, part of a complex built by Drogheda man Gerry Fagan
of Oceanico Developments.
'Estrela
Da Luz is just around the corner from Praia Da Luz. Loads of Drogheda
people go there. It is an absolute paradise,' said Jem O'Neill, a
regular visitor.
Drogheda
family hit out over Madeleine case clue coverage
Drogheda Independent - 08.08.2007
A
DROGHEDA family who may hold vital clues as to the disappearance of
Madeleine McCann have hit out at media distortion of evidence that
they have given to Portuguese police.
Maple
Drive man Martin Smith, his wife and his children had just left the
Kelly bar, which is located approximately 400 metres from the
McCanns' apartment at the Ocean Club between 9.50-10pm on the night
Madeleine disappeared.
They
returned to Ireland the next day, and because the reported abduction
times didn't originally match, they never had cause to examine their
journey that night.
As it
emerged that Madeleine was abducted around the same time, one of the
family members had a flashback of the moment some time later and
encouraged the others to jog their memory.
They
remembered passing a man walking towards the beach with a child in
his arms.
Other
than his approximate height and the fact that he was wearing beige
clothes they cannot be more specific than that. 'We are annoyed at
how vague our description is,' said the family member.
The
family contacted the Portuguese police and flew back over to give
evidence.
However,
contrary to media reports, Mr Smith had not seen chief suspect Robert
Murat in a bar the evening that Madeleine was abducted. 'He
definitely didn't see him on the night in question,' said a family
member.
The
family are also mystified at reports that he knows Mr Murat. 'They
met once in a bar about two years ago. My dad would only know Mr
Murat by sight,' said the family member. 'However, from what he
knows, he can say that the man who was carrying the child was not
Robert Murat.'
