kate and gerry all dolled up for the solicitors............all four of them! glancing across to the photo on the right gerry looks just a little more stressed these days...I wonder what those four solicitors told them.....sorry we could not represent you on a not guilty plea.........?As this article demonstrates the McCanns at that stage wanted to take a lie detector test. Now they most certainly do not! From always stating bundleman was walking towards the beach one of the McCann friends stated in September...just after the McCanns were made arguidos, and on condition of anonymity, well actually he was going towards Murat's villa.... Then on Panorama Tanner vehemently denies that she is accusing Murat...At that stage the McCanns had a 6 hour interview in London that must have cost an absolute bomb! Two £700 an hour top London lawyers and two top lawyers from Portugal as well - who is representing and advising them now - Mr Smethurst - solicitor the d/g man who does not know his criminal arse from his elbow - yes things have changed a bit!
Madeleine's parents: 'We will take lie detector test to clear our names'Last updated at 10:04am on 21st September 2007
Comments (73)
• Parents want to take lie detector test to clear names• Friend says 'mystery man' was heading towards Murat's home• Second Portuguese lawyer appointed for 'extra firepower'• Portuguese authorities admit their case has stalled
Kate and Gerry McCann are prepared to take a lie detector test to clear their names.
The couple are so confident of their own innocence that would take the polygraph test in Portugal, a source close to the couple said.
Scroll down for more ...
Relief: The McCanns visiting their lawyers in London yesterday
Read more...
Friend says 'mystery man carrying child' was heading towards Murat's home
'Madeleine's gone, Madeleine's gone' - what Kate REALLY said the moment she disappeared
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Comedian Kielty's tasteless jokes about Madeleine leave audience shocked
Madeleine: The missing six hours that baffle police
And new details have emerged about the sighting of the "mystery man" the McCanns believe was their daughter's abductor.
For the first time, a friend of the couple claimed the stranger seen walking away from the Praia da Luz holiday complex on May 3, apparently with a child in his arms, was heading towards former chief suspect Robert Murat's home.
The McCanns' offer to submit to lie detector tests would only serve to help clear any public doubts about the McCanns' guilt or innocence, as polygraphs are inadmissible in Portuguese courts and are never used by Portuguese police during the course of investigations.
The source said last night: "If they were asked to take a lie detector test, of course they would agree.
"Kate and Gerry are happy to do anything that would help clear their names."
Lie detectors work by measuring physiological responses such as blood pressure levels, pulse rate and skin conductivity when the subject is asked questions.
Scroll down for more ...
Arguidos: Madeleine's parents, pictured after intense questioning by Portguese detectives in Portimao, say they'll take lie detector tests to clear their names
Any significant difference in these rates as the subject gives answers to different questions, may indicate that the subject is lying.
The McCanns yesterday announced the appointment of a second Portuguese lawyer, bringing their legal team to four.
Rogerio Alves is president of the Portuguese Bar Association and has worked on some of country's most high profile cases.
He will work alongside the couple's current Portuguese lawyer, Carlos Pinto de Abreu, whom the couple appointed a month ago when they were accused in the Portuguese media of being involved in Madeleine's disappearance.
It is thought that Mr Alves' fees will be paid out of the £100,000 that Sir Richard Branson has donated towards to the McCanns' legal fund.
Madeleine: Missing for 141 daysThe new appointment means the McCanns have a fearsome legal team of lawyers working for them.
As well as the two Portuguese lawyers, they have also employed British solicitor Angus McBride and Michael Caplan QC, both of whom have formidable reputations.
Mr Caplan, in particular, is considered one of the country's foremost solicitors.
With his expertise and track record, he can charge upwards of £700 an hour for his services.
Yesterday all four lawyers had discussions with the McCanns at Mr Caplan's London office. The meeting lasted around around six hours.
Afterwards, the family spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "It is effectively the doubling of defence skills. It helps to have extra firepower."
Detectives start again
In Portugal the authorities admitted yesterday for the first time that their case had stalled - and that they are prepared to re-explore the possibility that she was snatched by an abductor.
They made it clear that the McCanns are still prime suspects in the inquiry, but that the case had reached "an impasse" after 141 days.
The news brought quiet relief to the couple, who saw it as a significant turning point in the campaign to switch the focus back to finding their daughter.
From 1,000 miles away in the UK, they watched events unfold yesterday after Wednesday's dramatic announcement that there was not enough evidence yet to warrant charges or reinterrogation.
The back-to-basics turnaround in the investigation was revealed by the national daily newspaper Diario de Noticias, quoting sources close to Luis Bilro Verao, the senior public prosecutor brought in to lead the case last week.
It reported that Mr Verao said: "The investigation has now entered an impasse."
All possible theories - abduction, accident, murder or innocent disappearance - would be reinvestigated.
The newspaper further reported that the kidnap theory, virtually abandoned after detectives pinpointed the McCanns as suspects, was "still on the table".
Other sources confirmed that new searches would be carried out soon at specific locations, aimed at finding either Madeleine or any clue to what happened.
Spokesman: Clarence Mitchell said the appointment of a second Portuguese lawyer will be 'extra firepower'While Mr Mitchell said the couple were relieved by the news that they would not face any immediate reinterrogation, he added: "There is still a long way to go in the legal process. They remain official suspects."
He said he could not discuss the DNA evidence at the centre of the police case, extracted from blood found in their holiday apartment and "bodily fluids" in the car they hired some 24 days after Madeleine disappeared.
But he added: "It's safe to say there are wholly innocent explanations for whatever the police may or may not have found in the car."
The McCanns, who could still be called back to Portugal if new evidence emerges, have also been offered help by a lawyer in Northern Ireland. Solicitor Paul Corrigan is defending an alleged Real IRA terrorist accused of murdering 29 people in the 1998 Omagh bombing.
The case has given him experience in challenging 'Low Copy Number DNA' or LCN DNA, a method of magnifying minute traces of body matter that are inadequate for more established DNA analysis.
Critics claims LCN DNA is not reliable enough to stand up in court - and it may be involved in the case against the McCanns.
And an intelligence expert has said photographs taken by spy satellites could hold the key to Madeleine's disappearance.
Professor Glees, who is director of Brunel University's Centre for Intelligence and Security Studies, said the little-known Joint Air Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre, based at RAF Brampton, Cambridgeshire, is a world leader in analysing aerial and satellite imagery.
It could collect and examine all the imagery that can be found of Praia da Luz, where the McCanns were on holiday, dating back to May 2. "It is perfectly possible that the European Commission's satellites, which track fishing boats, may also be able to shed light on Madeleine's fate. JARIC will quickly tell us," he said.
Comments (73)
• Parents want to take lie detector test to clear names• Friend says 'mystery man' was heading towards Murat's home• Second Portuguese lawyer appointed for 'extra firepower'• Portuguese authorities admit their case has stalled
Kate and Gerry McCann are prepared to take a lie detector test to clear their names.
The couple are so confident of their own innocence that would take the polygraph test in Portugal, a source close to the couple said.
Scroll down for more ...
Relief: The McCanns visiting their lawyers in London yesterday
Read more...
Friend says 'mystery man carrying child' was heading towards Murat's home
'Madeleine's gone, Madeleine's gone' - what Kate REALLY said the moment she disappeared
Portuguese police swoop on pet crematorium in new Madeleine lead
Comedian Kielty's tasteless jokes about Madeleine leave audience shocked
Madeleine: The missing six hours that baffle police
And new details have emerged about the sighting of the "mystery man" the McCanns believe was their daughter's abductor.
For the first time, a friend of the couple claimed the stranger seen walking away from the Praia da Luz holiday complex on May 3, apparently with a child in his arms, was heading towards former chief suspect Robert Murat's home.
The McCanns' offer to submit to lie detector tests would only serve to help clear any public doubts about the McCanns' guilt or innocence, as polygraphs are inadmissible in Portuguese courts and are never used by Portuguese police during the course of investigations.
The source said last night: "If they were asked to take a lie detector test, of course they would agree.
"Kate and Gerry are happy to do anything that would help clear their names."
Lie detectors work by measuring physiological responses such as blood pressure levels, pulse rate and skin conductivity when the subject is asked questions.
Scroll down for more ...
Arguidos: Madeleine's parents, pictured after intense questioning by Portguese detectives in Portimao, say they'll take lie detector tests to clear their names
Any significant difference in these rates as the subject gives answers to different questions, may indicate that the subject is lying.
The McCanns yesterday announced the appointment of a second Portuguese lawyer, bringing their legal team to four.
Rogerio Alves is president of the Portuguese Bar Association and has worked on some of country's most high profile cases.
He will work alongside the couple's current Portuguese lawyer, Carlos Pinto de Abreu, whom the couple appointed a month ago when they were accused in the Portuguese media of being involved in Madeleine's disappearance.
It is thought that Mr Alves' fees will be paid out of the £100,000 that Sir Richard Branson has donated towards to the McCanns' legal fund.
Madeleine: Missing for 141 daysThe new appointment means the McCanns have a fearsome legal team of lawyers working for them.
As well as the two Portuguese lawyers, they have also employed British solicitor Angus McBride and Michael Caplan QC, both of whom have formidable reputations.
Mr Caplan, in particular, is considered one of the country's foremost solicitors.
With his expertise and track record, he can charge upwards of £700 an hour for his services.
Yesterday all four lawyers had discussions with the McCanns at Mr Caplan's London office. The meeting lasted around around six hours.
Afterwards, the family spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "It is effectively the doubling of defence skills. It helps to have extra firepower."
Detectives start again
In Portugal the authorities admitted yesterday for the first time that their case had stalled - and that they are prepared to re-explore the possibility that she was snatched by an abductor.
They made it clear that the McCanns are still prime suspects in the inquiry, but that the case had reached "an impasse" after 141 days.
The news brought quiet relief to the couple, who saw it as a significant turning point in the campaign to switch the focus back to finding their daughter.
From 1,000 miles away in the UK, they watched events unfold yesterday after Wednesday's dramatic announcement that there was not enough evidence yet to warrant charges or reinterrogation.
The back-to-basics turnaround in the investigation was revealed by the national daily newspaper Diario de Noticias, quoting sources close to Luis Bilro Verao, the senior public prosecutor brought in to lead the case last week.
It reported that Mr Verao said: "The investigation has now entered an impasse."
All possible theories - abduction, accident, murder or innocent disappearance - would be reinvestigated.
The newspaper further reported that the kidnap theory, virtually abandoned after detectives pinpointed the McCanns as suspects, was "still on the table".
Other sources confirmed that new searches would be carried out soon at specific locations, aimed at finding either Madeleine or any clue to what happened.
Spokesman: Clarence Mitchell said the appointment of a second Portuguese lawyer will be 'extra firepower'While Mr Mitchell said the couple were relieved by the news that they would not face any immediate reinterrogation, he added: "There is still a long way to go in the legal process. They remain official suspects."
He said he could not discuss the DNA evidence at the centre of the police case, extracted from blood found in their holiday apartment and "bodily fluids" in the car they hired some 24 days after Madeleine disappeared.
But he added: "It's safe to say there are wholly innocent explanations for whatever the police may or may not have found in the car."
The McCanns, who could still be called back to Portugal if new evidence emerges, have also been offered help by a lawyer in Northern Ireland. Solicitor Paul Corrigan is defending an alleged Real IRA terrorist accused of murdering 29 people in the 1998 Omagh bombing.
The case has given him experience in challenging 'Low Copy Number DNA' or LCN DNA, a method of magnifying minute traces of body matter that are inadequate for more established DNA analysis.
Critics claims LCN DNA is not reliable enough to stand up in court - and it may be involved in the case against the McCanns.
And an intelligence expert has said photographs taken by spy satellites could hold the key to Madeleine's disappearance.
Professor Glees, who is director of Brunel University's Centre for Intelligence and Security Studies, said the little-known Joint Air Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre, based at RAF Brampton, Cambridgeshire, is a world leader in analysing aerial and satellite imagery.
It could collect and examine all the imagery that can be found of Praia da Luz, where the McCanns were on holiday, dating back to May 2. "It is perfectly possible that the European Commission's satellites, which track fishing boats, may also be able to shed light on Madeleine's fate. JARIC will quickly tell us," he said.
2 comments:
Viv, how long after this was it stated that they would in fact not be taking a polygraph? It has been rumoured that they did take a couple of 'dry runs' and may have failed, hence the retraction. Six hours is a LONG time, enough to squeeze in a couple of polygraphs in the presence of all their attorneys don't you think?
Another interesting point concerning the last 2 paragraphs. The offer from Mr Corrigan has never been mentioned again. Neither has the professor's JARIC proposal. Hmmm, interesting. One would have thought these would have been seen as manna from heaven by an innocent couple with absolutely nothing to hide.
Lastly, take a good look at the picture again. Besides a couple of body language issues between the couple there is 1 thing that caught my eye. They have obviously just exited a vehicle. Kate is immaculately turned out as usual, so what is that big A4 document doing poking it's head out of her bag? Just finished rehearsing your script, Kate? Also, is Gerry trying to check that the thirty pieces of silver are still in the right side pocket of his jacket?
Hiya Doc
I think you make a good point - the solicitors seem to have requested various tests and researches to be done to confirm what Kate and Gerry are telling them - that they are innocent! I think we can assume that those tests and researches have not proved favourable to the McCanns. It is clearly not inconceivable they have tried a lie detector test and failed. As doctors and given how cocky we know that Gerry is perhaps they thought they could regulate their own pulse and blood pressure etc to con the tests - but actually they could not!
I wonder if the PJs/UK police have been using the JARIC satellite technology once they got a "fix" from the mobile phone triangulation of exactly when and where to look? Like you say anything like this that actually would be helpful they do not want to mention! If they had spent that £1.2 M carefully they could have utilised some super duper technology and experts to locate Maddy with that sort of cash. It is clear they did not want her located.
So far as how long was it from September when they said they wanted to take lie detectors to when they changed their mind it was almost exactly two months later in NOVEMBER see article from DM below confirming this. Some of those researches required by the solicitors would have been done by that stage and they were starting to get a serious dose of the heeby jeebies - the only thing that wipes that smirk off Gerry's face is the thought that people are beginning to see through him and so recently we see the really hideous Gerry - he knows he has had it - but this does not stop his desperate scheming.
Thanks for your great posts - I and everyone else really look forward to and respect your point of view.
Luv Viv x
Now Kate McCann refuses to take a lie detector test to clear her name
By VANESSA ALLEN - More by this author »
Last updated at 16:58pm on 19th November 2007
Comments (20)
Kate McCann has refused to take a lie detector test about her daughter Madeleine's disappearance, it was revealed yesterday.
She and husband Gerry had offered to undergo a polygraph examination in September, after they were made official suspects in the investigation.
But it has now emerged that they have refused an expert's offer to carry it out, because the results would not be admissible as evidence to a Portuguese court.
Scroll down for more...
Kate McCann: Refuses to take a lie detector test
Read more...
Murat's girlfriend 'spotted with Madeleine' two days after she vanished
Madeleine: Kate McCann's fury at police offer of a 'deal'
Madeleine: Murat's mother says McCann friends are 'lying'
Don Cargill, chairman of the British and European Polygraph Association, said the McCanns told him they would only take the test if it was 100 per cent accurate and admissible in a Portuguese court.
He told the Sunday Express: "Kate said she'd take it to prove her innocence but in reality, she wasn't willing.
Madeleine: Missing since May 3
"I was dumbfounded, to tell the truth.
"I don't think it was the McCanns' fault. I was left with the impression the whole thing was a PR exercise to get sympathy at a time when Kate was under increasing scrutiny."
Lie detectors work by measuring physiological responses such as blood pressure levels, pulse rate, breathing and sweat gland activity in the skin during questioning.
Any significant difference in these rates may indicate the subject is lying.
The process has been criticised but the American Polygraph Association claims the current computerised technology is 98 per cent accurate.
They are not admissible in British or Portuguese courts.
McCann spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "Of course they are not going to take the test. It's inadmissible in Portugal and there are doubts about the accuracy.
"Gerry and Kate don't need to do one as they are telling the truth."
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