04.05.2007 - 19H20
She comes to the process
as a witness, and as part of the group that travelled to Portugal
with the parents of Madeleine. She is married to David, who also
travelled to Portugal.
She has known the girl’s
parents, Gerard (sic) and Kate, for about seven years. She got to
know them through Kate when they worked together. It was also at this
time that she got to know her [Kate’s] husband in social settings.
She knows that the couple
has three children, twins who are two years of age and Madeleine, who
was almost four years old.
The witness has two
children, of the female sex, who are two and one years old
respectively. The idea of travelling to Portugal came from her
husband David who had already been to Portugal about 11 years ago,
before she got to know him.
She arrived in Portugal
on the 28th April, at around 12H00, leaving from Leicestershire, and
arriving at Faro and then on to Praia da Luz. From Faro, she arrived
at the Ocean Club via mini bus taken from the airport. After check-in
she was lodged in apartment G5H with her family (husband, mother and
two daughters).
As regards the next days,
she says that in the morning, after breakfast, which the family would
eat in the club bar around 08H15/08H30 they would then put their
children in the club crèche, in different areas. During this time,
the witness and her husband would go swimming and practice other
sports on the beach, which was around 8 minutes distance on foot.
Around 12H30/13H00 they would go to get the children from the crèche
and would have lunch in the apartment, at times with other children.
Immediately afterwards her children would take a nap, whilst the
witness and her husband stayed in the apartment. Around 15H30/16H00
the children would wake up from their nap and all of them would head
towards the pool zone or the tennis court where they would stay until
around 18H00/19H00. They would then return to the apartment, would
bathe the children, put them to sleep and would go and meet with the
rest of the group, to have dinner. All the adults would meet in the
Tapas restaurant located close to the club.
During dinner, as they
were in a possession of a “baby monitor”, they did not go to the
apartment to check on their children and would only do so if they
heard any strange noises or crying.
Yesterday they slightly
altered their routine, they went to the beach with the children and
her mother Dianne. They arrived there around 15H45 and left at 18H15,
and headed towards the tennis court until about 19H00. Immediately
afterwards, the witness headed towards the apartment with her
children, and her mother. Ten minutes later her husband David
appeared. In the apartment her mother, helped by her husband David,
bathed the children whilst the witness went jogging on the beach
until around 20H00. Afterwards, she returned to the apartment and got
ready. She left around 20H45, accompanied by David and her mother, in
order to meet the rest of the group in the Tapas restaurant.
During dinner, amongst
other friends present was the McCann couple—Madeleine’s parents.
When questioned she says
that she did not go to the club, neither did her husband, to check on
the children as she possessed a baby monitor, as previously
mentioned. However, she states that Gerald and Kate went with
regularity, as did the other couples to ensure that their children
were well.
On one of these
occasions, upon returning, Kate, very scared and nervous, in a panic,
told them in the restaurant that Madeleine had gone missing,
screaming and frightened.
Immediately, they
organised search groups, either in the apartment thinking that she
could be hidden, or outside, which resulted in nothing, even with the
help of the employees.
Due to Kate’s highly
anxious state, she decided to stay with her, giving her all support
she needed.
She was never in
Madeleine’s family apartment.
She knew Madeleine well
and describes her as very intelligent and she would not go with
stranger without screaming or protesting unless she was very tired or
sleeping.
As regards the episode
with Jane—she [Jane] only told her that she had seen an individual
with a child in his arms, not knowing if it was Madeleine
During this holiday
period she never noticed anything strange or relevant to the facts in
question.
She has no other elements
to offer the investigation.
No more was said.
16.05.2007
Cette audition n'est pas un complément à la précédente. Fiona WP et David WP, on ne sait pourquoi, n'ont pas été entendus une seconde fois comme les autres membres du groupe.
- That she confirms in
the integrity of her previous declarations made in this
investigation.
- Questioned, states that
she became aware following various news bulletins - namely on SKY
NEWS - that ROBERT MURAT was the main suspect in the abduction of
MADELEINE MCCANN.
- That upon seeing the
individual on television, she recognised him immediately as someone
from the night of the disappearance of MADELEINE who had made his
presence noted.
- That she never saw this
individual before, and saw him for the first time, as stated, on the
night of May 3rd, around 22H39, outside, and next to the door of
the McCANN apartment in the company of GNR elements, who had
arrived.
- That at this point, one
and a half hours had passed since KATE McCANN had noted that her
daughter had disappeared. Donc il était 11h30
- Questioned, states that
she does not remember the characteristics (type, colour, etc) of the
clothes that ROBERT MURAT wore that night.
- That she found the
presence of this individual at the site very strange, and
never got to know what his role was (contrary to other people who
were there, and who belonged to the police or the resort).
- That at a certain time,
he said that he was there to help the police but his behaviour was
not compatible with this role, in that he looked to be leading
the process, stating that he was offering his help in all that was
necessary.
- That she found his
behaviour so excessively strange that she stayed as far away from
him as she could.
- That she does not
remember if he entered the McCANN's apartment on this night. She does
not know if he spoke to GERRY, but is certain that he did not speak
to KATE, in that after the disappearance of MADELEINE, the deponent
stayed with [KATE] for most of the time in her [KATE's] apartment. Comment l'a-t-elle vu ?
- That during this night,
she saw him walking to and fro, the majority of the time accompanied
by the police, and always with an air of authority, offering
suggestions and trying to lead the situation.
- That she did not speak
to him, and only observed his behaviour.
- She only came across
him at around 23H30, next to the McCANN apartment, when he went there
to offer his help in any way possible. She does not remember if
anyone was with him at this time.
- That in the following
days she saw him various times with numerous reporters who were in
the locale.
- That she did not see
him in any other place or situation.
- States that since the
night of the disappearance, she found his behaviour strange, as he
wanted to know everything what was happening and gave the idea that
he knew everything. He tried insistently to lead the process,
especially the actions of the police.
- At one point, he even
seemed to try and lead the police movements with his presence and
wanted to translate everything.
- That she had never seen
him before this night.
- And nothing more was
said.
