Mother jailed for life for punching and kicking her 21-month-old baby to death
By Daily Mail ReporterLast updated at 4:28 PM on 15th May 2010
Jailed: Collette Harris was sentenced to 16 years at the Old Bailey today, pictured earlier in the trial
Collette Harris, 30, must serve at least 16 years behind bars for the murder of Bobby Louch.
He had more than 80 bruises and injuries on his tiny body and head, as well as a burn to his right hand, when he died four days after Christmas in 2008.
He had fatal damage to his brain and abdomen and his injuries were so severe they would normally be seen in a car crash, the Old Bailey was told.
He had suffered 'extensive' bleeding within the skull, bleeding in the spine, as well as severe damage to internal organs as if he had been kicked or punched to the stomach and head.
Most of the injuries were from the 48 hours leading up to his death on December 29, 2008.
But Bobby had been treated for a broken leg three weeks earlier and was kept in for a scan when bruises were seen on his forehead.
The toddler's mother, Collette Harris, complained she was being 'victimised' and said the bruises were the result of Bobby banging his head on his cot.
And tests revealed the ankle fracture was caused accidentally and no other serious injuries were detected so he was discharged.
A consultant at Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford, Kent, who had seen Bobby before, sent him home the next day after checks were made.
Harris, 30, of Dartford, Kent, had denied killing Bobby or causing his injuries.
Tragedy: Bobby Louch who died after suffering fatal damage to his brain and abdomen. His mother, Collette Harris, was found guilty of his murder
Harris whispered 'I did not touch my son'.
She had tried to blame her new boyfriend, James Phillips, who denied killing Bobby or causing the injuries.
Drug taker Phillips, 25, of Erith, Kent, was found not guilty of murder and alternate charges of manslaughter and causing or allowing the death.
Sentencing Harris, The Recorder of London Peter Beaumont said: 'It was a terrible thing you did for reasons that are quite incomprehensible, the suffering that was inflicted upon him before death and the abuse of your position of trust.
'I take into account there was an intention not to kill but to cause really serious injuries.'
In a victim impact statement Bobby's natural dad Dan Louch said: 'Bobby's death has completely devastated my life.
'Everyday I ask why and how. There is no explanation and I feel so useless and helpless for what happened. I feel personally to blame. I looked for signs but there were none.
'Collette explained away the bruises to Bobby's head saying he headbutted his cot and I remember how he cowered and covered his head when I reproached him when he was naughty.
'Bobby died having spent the period before Christmas with me and my family.
'Christmas was a wonderful time, it was Bobby's second Christmas and he was more aware and enjoyed opening his presents.'
In the hours before Bobby died, he had been left alone with each adult over the weekend at the family home in Bexleyheath, south-east London.
He was kicked in the stomach on Saturday with such force that it damaged vital organs.
He was sick on Sunday, vomiting and looking disorientated. He had a burn mark on his right hand which could have been made by it being placed on an oven door.
But Harris refused to take him to hospital. She told a friend she would be suspected of abusing him, the court heard.
In the early hours of Monday morning, a neighbour said he heard 'a baby whimpering' and murmuring 'mummy'.
Later, Harris rang for an ambulance, saying: "My baby won't wake up."
Richard Whittam, QC, prosecuting, told the court: 'At the time of his death, Bobby Louch was covered in bruises.
'There is compelling evidence that the multiple injuries were the result of deliberate and repeated violence.'
Bobby's face had been covered in bruises of differing colours and which were less than 48 hours old.
There were 39 mostly finger-tip sized marks on the face and body which could have been made by 'forceful prodding', the court heard.
A bruise to the right ear could have come from pinching or an attempt to pick him up by the ear, said Mr Whittam.
Bobby also had a contact burn to his right hand and his right leg was in plaster because of a fracture 20 days earlier.
The jury was told Harris ended her relationship with Dan Louch, Bobby's father, in October 2008 and took up with Phillips.
'It was clear to her friends that Collette Harris was 'besotted' by James Phillips,' said Mr Whittam.
Harris remained 'extremely enamoured with him' but friends noticed a change in her behaviour.
Bobby spent the period before and after Christmas with his father who did not notice any significant bruising.
But two days after returning home, a friend of Phillips noticed he seemed 'woozy' and that he was vomiting. Harris showed him a bruise on Bobby, said Mr Whittam.
Later, he asked why Harris did not take him to hospital and she allegedly replied:
'How can I take him to the hospital with bruises like that on his body. They will think I am beating him up or something.'
The toddler died the next day.
Harris, from Dartford in Kent, maintained her innocence as she was led to the cells.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1278455/Mother-jailed-life-punching-kicking-21-month-old-baby-death.html?ITO=1708#ixzz0o2NcyuW8
44 comments:
Hi SB
I will copy this onto the new thread in case you miss it here (as it is so important LOL)....
I agree I am looking at this as a normal person and the McCanns are far from normal...
Yet their problem is most of the population reading their rubbish are normal....
The latest blured image has been built up as very important yet 3 years have passed and they only release it now????
I have to wonder on which anniversary they will rescue their child because as far as I can see there is no great hurry to do so...
If she really was abducted they have to be the sickest parents ever to walk the earth with no reconstuction and Mummy still staying silent....
If she was given away to a decent family then long may she stay safe with them...
If she is dead and they hid her body then they should shut up and get on with the life they did not want to loose because of their neglect (or something more evil)...
I still have no idea what happend but Kate knows she was there???
Let them keep spinning and interviewing they say the most heartles and odd things......
99% sure the DX is taking the rise out of them by printing such odd stories 3 years too late...
If this photo is the important clue that will re open the case what the hell have they been paying their crack detectives for?
xxx
Here is another one.... She said she did not do it she is innocent so why dont we or more importantly the jury belive her....
The McCanns say they had nothing to do with what happend to Maddie yet refuse to actually do anything that may help her even using her fund to prove to us lesser people they are innocent....
I will ask again why is Madeleine McCann so unimportant that her parents are still allowed to spin the enquiry their way?
If this evil bitch had a bit more money and had managed to hide her son would her denile have been enough for a wave of public sympathy for her?
There is no evidence that Kate or Gerry hurt their child or conclusive evidence that she is dead. By the same logic there is even less evidence to prove she was abducted.....
If the authorities in this country think it is perfectly normal for parents of a missing child to hang on to vital evidence that proves she is in hell and to spin every negative into a positive for them then I worry for all our children.....
Although not conclusive proof of their guilt the pictures taken of the pair of them 9 days after she was takent laughing it up would be enough to have them re arested and questioned....
Not sure how much longer this will go on but one thing is clear in this case of child neglect Madeleine just is not as important as the people who neglected her for most of the "Family" holiday....
that is sad...
Hiya Hope
This bitch as you rightly call her did not look particularly concerned as she arrives at the Crown Court does she? In her short tasteless dress playing on her mobile with her long fake fingernails.
Oh My God she wails as the Jury find her guilty. For a mom who says to witnesses no I cannot take him to hospital they will think I have abused him, just what did she expect? That is just the ultimate in putting yourself before your child.
I think that picture of her is very comparable to that awful picture of the McCanns on Madeleine's 4th birthday, they think they are going to get away with it and they just could not care less about their child.
As you rightly point out, the only difference between them is money and intellect. If the above bitch had disposed of her child's body and ran a media campaign saying she was abducted just like the McCanns, maybe she could have prevented that vital evidence being found also.
There is not a shred of evidence of any stranger abducting Madeleine and that has been positively ruled out by the Portuguese Police. If they had simply gotten rid of Maddie themselves you would not expect there to be a shred of evidence and you would expect them to try and concoct some. That they have done with tails of jemmied windows and breakins. This is a situation where the police have more than enough evidence to know who is responsible but still not enough to actually prosecute them, but that time will come.
I look at that forlorn little last picture of Madeleine gathering her tennis balls and it just says it all for me. Gerry goes and produces a faked last picture of Madeleine, probably from the year before because the last thing he wants is this one to be used.
She does not have blond hair, it is brown. She does not look like a child who has a regular sleeping routine going to bed early every night as Gerry tells us the whole family do. She has deep purple bags under her eyes.
The weather was not good in PDL and yet they report she had sunburn to her arm. I do not believe that is sunburn. I believe it is bruising where an attempt has been made to cover it with fake suntan cream, leaving her little hand pure white cut off in an almost straight line.
I think of Mrs Fenn saying Maddie increasingly sobbed more pitifully two days before she went missing, something the McCanns also tell lies about. What was she saying, Daddy, Daddy.
What was this little boy saying, mummy mummy.
The Daily Express are yet again running with the worn out Cooper man story.
Towards the end of the article it says this:
Kate and Gerry McCann, of Rothley, Leicestershire, are hoping that new Tory Home Secretary Theresa May will call for a review of all the evidence in the case.
Now correct me if I am wrong but over the last months have not the McCanns been quite categorically telling us CEOP/the government actually had ordered reviews by a variety of different and senior police officers, and of course, ruling out the McCanns least favourite British Police force, the one responsible for them, Leicester Police?
This is just typical of desperate criminals, the previous government were not listening to them, insisting the file should be reviewed to form the view they are in fact innocent, so now they start on the new one. Well I have a feeling they are going to find Teresa May one tough cooky who will not be listening to their rubbish about how innocent they are !
Hi Hope....,
Well said!
It is very difficult to comprehend what motivates people such as this latest 'evil bitch'. Excuse me saying so Viv but to me there are no extenuating circumstances that can justify such brutality, excepting insanity and/or inadequacy. How anybody can do such a cruel, calculated thing to a child is totally beyond my powers of comprehension. How can you continue to have any faith in human nature when such atrocities as this occur so frequently.
Haven't seen the Express article yet but will no doubt have something to say in due course. if it's worth the effort!
Hi!
My initial thoughts concerning Gerry's favourite source of entertainment was occasioned by the inter-blog warfare in addition to the bizarre theories expounded by some posters. Even I find it rather amusing at times although completely unnecessary. For this reason I have almost abandoned visiting J Morais blog as the ramblings of some have become somewhat tedious if not utterly ridiculous.
My thanks to Viv for maintaining a comparatively responsible site!
I am getting rather bored with the Mccanns pathetic attempts at name dropping. Of course another aspect of Gerald’s multi-facet personality i.e. appearing to more important than he actually is! With any degree of luck at some stage he will exhaust all avenues of bounty hunting, descend to planet earth and face the inevitable! Gerry, you will not escape justice however many big names you drop into the arena. They are just names, not allies nor friends so why can't you just give up the sick game you are playing and realise you are done for?
Let’s suppose you actually do escape justice (lol), what are you going to do with the residue fund money and the Halligans nest egg? May I suggest you take advantage of Mr Bransons past allegiance and be one of the first to try out his Space Tourist Rocket!
SPACE ROCKET that is really funny LOL....
I agree Viv she looked as if she was off for a day out shopping on the way to court and I am pleased she has been jailed for 16 years..... There does seem to be som arrogance with these child abusing scum that no one can touch them???
What anoyes me is she onviously did not want her Son and he had spent time with his Father over Christmas so why did she not do the decent thing and hand over custody???
Probebly did not want to loose all her benefits !
Sickening
Hello all!.....
I think its revenge time for the Express ~ nobody can be expected to take this article seriously! Let's face it, who likes to be sued for just doing their job.
Again we have that magic word 'breakthrough' that crops ad infinitum, almost as frequently as 'scoping exercise' and 'independent case review' ~ Yawn!!! Why are we raking this up again? The sighting has already been dismissed by the bungling PJ, along with all that other vital information that has been ignored so why now? How dare somebody innocently walk alone on a beach when a faked abduction is being planned!
Was this another trip over to the U.S.? Is there not a trained artist a little nearer to home, or do we have to have that American connection again ~ or should I say FBI. Which one of J Tanners descriptions does this resemble? Slightly rounded shoulders? ~ Probably due to carrying bodies around Portugal!
"I believe it would be useful for the investigation if 'he' was to come forward". Perhaps 'he' is suffering from an identity crisis and is not quite sure what he supposed to look like or maybe from all the conflicting descriptions 'he' doesn't know that he is the prime suspect in a very serious crime. As for the visit to the 2 million pound villa, I think if I rented such luxury I would at least expect the place to be surrounded by a secure boundary and not easy access to any Tom, Dick or Harry that happens to be begging by.
So Kate and Gerry Mccann are now hoping that the new Tory Home Secretary will call for a 'review' (that word again) of all evidence in the case. What happened to the 'review' called for by the Labour Home Secretary? Sorry Gerry me old mate ~ this time the laugh is on you!
SB
I think the DX are taking the rise out of them...
you cant sue a paper and expect them to want to support you through the lies...
It is obvious to anyone with half a brain cell they are lying as I have said far too many times as this goes on they would have to be twisted to play games with a childs life if there was a 0.5% chance of finding her alive...
They should have a chat with Jeffrey Archer if they think papers pay up and forget when they know they have been lied about....
Hi all
I read the DX article and laughed, we have been here before they really do think we are all stupid.
The photo of the possible kidnapper is fuzzy,why? Could it be because he is an innocent holiday maker going about his business or even a local!
K & G. You really believe you are going to close all blogs before the twins get access to them, in your dreams, trust me this will never happen.
As for the X rated celebs, you know who you are, that think the sun shines out of K & G, be careful it could be your downfall.
My advice, read the files readily available.
Hello Di
It is now so obvious they have always known she is not able to be saved it is a joke...
Who waits 3 years to keep teasing they are going to ask for the investigation to be reopened???
When next week next month next year?
Totaly crazy...
I would rather be labled an evil deluded blogger than support the wicked duo who firstly left their children alone (or so they despratley want us to belive)and have now spent her fund to defend themselves and pay their mortgage and round the world trips.....
If they did not leave their children alone Mrs Fenns statement about Maddie crying is haunting who was with her and what were they doing to make her so unhappy???? If she was shouting for her Daddy where was Kate at the time????
Sadly parents do evil things to their children and to allow the McCanns to run this investigtion is criminal in itself...
Maddie has been left to rot by everyone of their supporters another second in hell is a second too long yet they are all happy for her to wait until they show their hand....
Evil beyond words...
Hiya all
SB, I do not think there are any excuses for treating your child to this or for failing to get him the urgent medical help he obviously needed due to such serious injuries.
She is a selfish, vicious and inadequate woman who puts her own pleasure before the life and safety of her own little boy. She got herself a new man and the little boy, it would seem, became surplus to requirements.
The Portuguese Police asked Kate McCann, were you thinking of transferring custody of Madeleine to a relative? I have always found it terribly incriminating that she refused to answer that question. If parents actually decide they do not want, cannot cope with, or cannot protect their child maybe it should be made more clear they have a duty to inform social services and to look positively on the prospect of doing precisely that, and handing the child over to someone who actually will love and protect them.
But maybe it should also be made clear that when you decide to have children, it is not something you do to get more state benefits or trap the favoured man. Unfortunately there are women who are having children for all the wrong reasons, not because they want to love and care for them. I do think better education of teenage children stressing the responsibilities that attach to having children brings and how utterly damaged a child can be that is lacking in love and proper care may go a long way towards stemming what has become a serious epedemic of serious child abuse in UK. Selfish, thoughtless people who only care about themselves and resent children and the time and care that they actually need.
It is very hard to understand how people can be so utterly wicked and cruel, even I find that, a trained probation officer. But I think that anger builds in inadequate and selfish people, the child becomes the enemy interfering in their life. Kate made comments that seriously rang alarm bells with me. Madeleine shrieked for attention (at just 20 months old), she cried for 18 hours a day. To be making these remarks about Madeleine just a matter of months after she had been a party to getting rid of her sounded like an attempt to justify in her own mind the enormity of what she had done. Kate tried to disguise these comments insisting that explained the supposed great bond between her and Madeleine. I am afraid for me it did just the opposite.
Some people are just naturally great parents with a lot of love and patience to offer children. Some only offer a clean home and good food and think that is enough, when the child is not responding to that feel resentment towards the child. It is a great pity that such people ever have children in the first place.
But the law does protect children, if parents fail in their duty in the most serious way, then they should know what to expect. The McCanns and this woman can think about that for the rest of their lives, but they do not have the capacity in the first place to understand empathy and how their own children suffered so terribly, they only understand their own suffering.
I think there has been a lot of attempts over the years to close this blog. I have had to put up with an awful lot of personal abuse.
I do agree that unfortunately there are blogs/fora now where the attacks on the police and bizarre suggestions make them a place you would not wish to visit any more and that certainly includes me.
But so long as Kate and Gerry keep up their media campaign seeking to suggest they are innocent in the abuse and disposal of little Madeleine, this blog is staying put!
They are not going to brainwash me or anyone else into their perverted way of thinking. We have read the case files, we have listened to Kate and Gerry and we know there is something very seriously wrong with this couple and their parenting style, not just of Madeleine, but the twins also.
I want something done about that by the State and again until we see positive results, this blog is staying put.
Why do the McCanns think they are entitled to a voice in the media and no one can answer them back? Because that is the sort of people they are. The sort of people that drum into their terrified twins every single day of their little lives, Maddie got stolen from her bed when we were not there protecting you. Words just cannot express how much harm this couple are being allowed to cause to those two innocent little children.
Di/Hope
I do agree this latest piece from the Express and many others have seemed like taunting and mockery of the McCanns.
The Express know they cannot be sued for suggesting Kate and Gerry would want the case reviewed, because they do! Neither can they be sued for suggesting Kate and Gerry want the public to take Gran Cooper and her story about a man having the audacity to walk on the beach in the rain and collect money for charity makes him a child abductor seriously. It is not serious it is bizarre rubbish.
That did get their own back on Jeffrey Archer, in the most punishing way. I really hope that is their plan for Kate and Gerry and perhaps sense that with a new government there will be renewed vigour in seeking to bring charges against these two who most certainly deserve that.
Hi Viv and Di,
Well….they’re having a laugh down at the Express the photograph of the mystery man is of course Gerry. LOL
Glad to see you are sticking to your guns Viv despite others who would curtail freedom of opinions other than those held by themselves or their paymasters.
Viv......,
Again I must rely on your working experience of matters relating to a dysfunctional family environment. I know I am unreasonably cynical but I cannot see a workable solution to this problem. Having never had children (by choice) I can only speak as an outside observer when I say that I fear children/teenagers these days are largely over-indulged which ultimately leads to a very selfish attitude towards life in general and a total disrespect for others and above all themselves!
As celebrity culture dominates so many lives, the influence is far from beneficial to a young impressionable mind. Miss X is desperate for a child, if it can only be a girl to dress up in designer gear, a father? no, any old sperm donor will do. Miss X lives on 200 calories a day ~ must be all right, anyway who cares as long as I'm stick thin! Partners are preferable to husbands/wives so who cares about providing a child with a solid family environment? (Not suggesting that a single parent is incapable of rearing a child with love and care ~ just using it as an example of the decline in society). Modern influence encourages kids to walk the streets looking like cheap prostitutes ~ what sort of message does that send out to rampant blokes? Sex being so free and easy and drugs/alcohol so easily available it seems to me people are looking for an alternative, such as child pornography I am sorry to say.
There are so many aspects of modern society that have surpassed effective remedy so I can't but think that the situation will only get worse. My opinion of course and I sincerely hope I am wrong!
Hello Wiz
I can see that lots of people are saying it is Gerry but it was a fortnight before he arrived, unless of course he was casing the joint. That is certainly a possibility, lol!
How stupid is it though really, three years down the line we get this blurred image of a bloke with dark hair and not much more could be said. Why suddenly produce this now? Naughty Leicester Police dropped it down the back of the filing cabinet!
Hiya SB
There is a lot of common sense in what you say. There is too much emphasis on children having all of the things that wealth can bring that they do not really need and far less emphasis on encouraging them to be creative and love and respect animals and wildlife which does develop a loving and caring attitude, the need to protect.
And it is often the poorest families that seem to think their kids must have all of these gadgets that mass advertising suggest they "need".
Hi,
I’ve just been reading the report in the Mail about the 40 year old English woman who was arrested last night by Spanish police on suspicion of murdering her two young children in the costal resort of Lloret de Mar on the Costa Brava. Allegedly she has confessed to their murders and is said to be suffering from a mental illness.
Well no cover up here and no friends and family to support any story she might have used to conceal the facts.
With the mental health service in this country being slimmed down it is so easy for needy people to slip through the net and it is no surprise that this kind of tragedy occurs.
This makes me reflect in Madeleine’s case - if her parents were not given the benefit of the doubt to begin with and did not have millionaire backers to further their cause and friends to muddy the waters would justice have seen to be done. I think it would.
Hello Wizard......,
From the very beginning the Mccanns undoubtedly used every available opportunity to connect their names with influential magnates wherever they could succeed in so doing, which has clearly been to their advantage in terms of image protection.
However, this cannot change any culpability that they may be subjected to within the legal processes. We can see from all documentation that we are privy to that the PJ thoroughly investigated all possibilities before concluding that stranger abduction just did not happen. Again from the records, we can see that the investigation was seriously considering the possibility of child abuse/child trafficking/kidnapping. It is also blatantly clear that all indications pointed in the direction of parent involvement ~ of course the Mccanns themselves.
Such being the case, the PJ have completed their input and the investigation then becomes the prime responsibility of the British police, the Mccanns being British citizens. This I believe was the situation when the investigation was shelved in Portugal and continues to this very day. I certainly cannot be convinced that the Mccanns are being protected by any influential being but I am convinced that directly the police have a watertight case against them ~ then we shall see justice for little Madeleine.
Viv.....,
Animal welfare and wildlife, subjects very, very dear to my heart. What possessed me to choose this country to live I shall never know ~ like everything I suppose, you only see the veneer until you probe deeper (back to the Mccanns again?). The natives do not even value human life let alone animals, in fact I have witnessed some pretty horrendous acts of cruelty in the past which would pain me to relate. Their idea of wildlife is exposing themselves to passing girls/women, for what purpose I have yet to discover!
It's hard to believe not so many years ago their women where only allowed out for a trip to the souk but now they have adopted the western influence in every aspect. Particularly the youngsters are rude, ignorant, disrespectful, selfish ~ no different from their western counterparts! They imitate just about everything that is wrong with western/American society so as I said before I see little hope for a better future.
Hiya SB/Wiz
I think the McCann case is a very complex tragedy and connected to Kate's mental health but I do think SB's above post 29.05 is very accurate in terms of police thinking and the reason for the investigation being shelved in Portugal. I am quite convinced it will never be re-opened again in that jurisdiction. The most they will do is any further investigations necessary in Portugal for UK, but the prime suspects are here and it is a matter for UK to bring them to book. I am posting below what I feel may be a similar case and equally complex. Are the moms seeking to release the children from something so terrible?
Children found dead in Spain - father on sex charges
Lianne Smith and her daughter Rebecca
Lianne Smith and her daughter had been reported missing since 2007
The husband of a British woman being held on the Costa Brava over the deaths of their two children has appeared in court on child sex offences.
Martin Smith, 45, of North Shields, was remanded in custody at Carlisle Magistrates' Court until 7 June.
Lianne Smith, 43, is being held in Spain on suspicion of murdering Rebecca, five, and 11-month-old Daniel.
Mr Smith, who faces unrelated charges, was told on Tuesday their children had been found in a hotel in Lloret de Mar.
Mother questioned
He was extradited from Spain this week over 13 charges of sexual offences against a girl aged between seven and 18 and for failing to answer police bail.
The BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Lloret de Mar said Mr Smith had been arrested in Barcelona on 7 May.
Martin Smith
Martin Smith faces 13 sex offence charges against a girl under 18
He was charged with six counts of gross indecency with or towards a girl aged under 16 between 1995 and 2001; six counts of rape of a girl aged under 16 between 2001 and 2005 and one count of attempted rape of a girl under the age of 16 between 1997 and 2001.
Wearing a blue top, he confirmed his name and date of birth but gave no plea. He will appear at Carlisle Crown Court next month.
Spanish police found the children's bodies shortly before 1400 local time on Tuesday in a room at the four-star Hotel Miramar in the resort in the north-eastern province of Girona.
The discovery came after Mrs Smith asked the hotel reception desk for help.
According to our correspondent, the hotel's receptionist said Mrs Smith told her she needed to speak to the police and had appeared calm before returning to her room.
AT THE SCENE
Sarah Rainsford
By Sarah Rainsford, BBC News,
Lloret de Mar
Room 101 at the Miramar hotel is closed with a police seal - the main outward sign that this seafront hotel in the popular Spanish resort of Lloret de Mar now contains a crime scene.
There's also a small bunch of white flowers and a pink teddy bear on the pavement outside with a note that says "RIP little ones. God has gained 2 angels."
Inside, staff are still shaken by what's happened.
At about 0930 local time yesterday morning, the cleaner on duty noticed a "do not disturb" sign on the hotel room door.
At around 1400, the woman staying in that room, Lianne Smith, came down to reception and asked staff to call the police and an ambulance.
"She seemed calm and cold, she was not hysterical," Anna, the receptionist says.
"But when I looked into her eyes I could see something serious had happened."
Mrs Smith has been moved to the town of Blanes where she is being questioned by police.
Police have 72 hours from the time of arrest before they must present their case to a magistrate who will decide whether to press charges.
Police said there were no outward signs of violence but officers have not confirmed reports in Spanish newspapers that the children were suffocated.
Reports Mrs Smith had given a confession had also not been confirmed by police, our correspondent added.
A post-mortem examination is expected to take place on Thursday.
The room where the bodies were found remains sealed off, although the hotel has reopened.
Police said the family were on holiday in the resort, which is a popular destination for British holidaymakers.
The receptionist told the BBC the family had been at the resort since Saturday and daughter Rebecca would often wave to the workers.
Estonian tourist Siiri Sonajalg, 47, who was also staying at the hotel, said she was shocked.
"The hotel and police didn't tell us anything. I didn't sleep very well last night because I was just wondering what the mother was feeling when she woke up that morning.
Map of Spain showing Lloret de Mar
"I feel very sad. I keep thinking about what happened."
Mrs Smith and her daughter were reported missing from the Staffordshire area in December 2007.
Staffordshire Police said shortly before this time the pair had moved to Lichfield from Cumbria.
In a statement they said: "Our officers have worked closely with Staffordshire Social Services, Cumbria Police and, once it was established that the family were believed to be abroad, Interpol and other law enforcement agencies to trace the family."
The year the family went missing, Mr Smith had appeared on the television programme Most Haunted as a guest psychic investigating alleged paranormal occurrences at Brougham Hall near Penrith.
I just hope SSD/Police are watching the McCanns very carefully for the sake of those two little twins who should have been removed from their care, IMO.
Father of two children killed in Spain was on most-wanted list
Chain of events that led to double murder began with arrest for paedophilia offences
By Cahal Milmo, Chief Reporter
Thursday, 20 May 2010
The sign hanging on door of room 101 of the Hotel Miramar on Tuesday morning was carefully worded to avoid arousing any suspicion about the events unfolding inside. It read: "Do not disturb, my children are ill."
It was only when the reception at the £53-a-night, four-star hotel in the Costa Brava resort of Lloret de Mar was called shortly before 2pm by the room's occupant, 43-year-old Lianne Smith, with a request to call the police and an ambulance that the horrifying nature of what had taken place became clear.
According to Spanish police sources, investigators entered the triple room to find the bodies of 11-month-old Daniel Smith and his five-year-old sister Rebecca lying on a bed covered by blankets. Their mother, who had arrived at the hotel by car a day earlier, had written a note in which she allegedly confessed to killing her children.
Yesterday, it emerged that the road to this tragedy had begun 10 days earlier when detectives from Spain's Guardia Civil had arrived at the family's rented apartment in central Barcelona, some 50 miles south of Lloret de Mar, and detained Mrs Smith's husband, Martin, for extradition to Britain on paedophilia charges.
Media reports said that the housewife had told police – who are investigating whether a plastic bag was used to asphyxiate the two infants after they had been subdued using over-the-counter pain killers – that she feared her children were about to be taken away by the Spanish authorities.
Martin Smith, 45, a television psychic, had been placed on a list of Britain's most-wanted fugitives in September last year after he left the country during an investigation by Cumbria Police into sexual offences against a girl aged under 16 between 1995 and 2005. He is thought to have fled the UK in December 2007 with his wife and Rebecca.
Officers moved to arrest the businessman on 7 May after information was received by Operation Captura, a joint initiative by Britain's Serious and Organised Crime Agency, Crimestoppers, and the Spanish authorities aimed at capturing wanted Britons thought to have fled to Spain.
Police are investigating whether Mrs Smith, apparently distraught at the arrest of her husband, carried out the killings to coincide with his deportation back to Britain on Tuesday on a European arrest warrant.
Smith yesterday appeared at Carlisle Magistrates' Court on 13 charges including rape and sexual assault, hours after being told of the deaths of the two children. Police sources said Smith was "distraught". There were conflicting reports as to whether the former entrepreneur, who is the father of Daniel, was also the father of Rebecca. Mrs Smith has four children, at least two of whom are from a previous relationship.
Outside court, a spokesman for Cumbria Police said: "During the court hearing it was disclosed that Smith's wife, 43-year-old Lianne Smith, has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of the two children. We are saddened by these tragic events and are supporting members of the extended family."
The couple are understood to have settled in the Carlisle area in 1999 after Mrs Smith's previous relationship had ended. The businessman, who was born in North Shields, worked for a management consultancy and had previously had a job as a sound engineer before he set himself up as a professional medium around 2004 after attending a training course in Essex. Advertising himself on a spiritualists' website, Smith described himself as a "clairvoyant and psychic" and offered tarot readings and public demonstrations after explaining that he had been drawn to the paranormal since "seeing lights around myself" as a young child.
The psychic seemed bound for a more high-profile career when he was approached in 2007 to appear on a television programme exploring haunted houses around Britain. The Most Haunted series, for the satellite channel UK Living, showed Smith investigating Brougham Hall, a Tudor mansion near Penrith.
Walking across a bridge, Smith appeared on screen saying: "I got an overwhelming feeling that someone had thrown themselves off the bridge. I had to take a step back because I felt like I wanted to do it myself. I also sensed a baby. What she went through took my breath away." It later emerged that a woman had killed herself and her child by jumping from the bridge.
The family are thought to have left Cumbria in 2007 and settled in Lichfield, Staffordshire, while police were investigating the allegations of sexual assault against Smith. When he failed to answer his police bail in January 2008, it was found he had left the country via Dover a month earlier with his wife and Rebecca, sparking an international police hunt.
Staffordshire County Council told The Independent yesterday that it had begun work along with police to "safeguard" Rebecca in November 2007, when the allegations of rape were first levelled against Smith, but that no action could be taken before the family vanished on 7 December. It is understood the claims against Smith do not relate to Rebecca.
Although police rapidly formed the opinion that Smith had fled to Spain, the trail went cold until this month when detectives were pointed in the direction of an apartment building in the fashionable Horta district of Barcelona, close to the city's famous Gaudi cathedral, which the couple had rented for at least the last six months. Operation Captura, which publicises wanted Britons using posters and a website in Spanish, featured Smith in a list of 10 fugitives released last September.
Smith is understood to have surrendered immediately when he answered the door to officers on the evening of 7 May. Neighbours said that the family had been discreet, making few acquaintances and restricting their interaction with the community to visits to a tobacconist to buy sweets for Rebecca. Natalie Lllorente Lopez, 43, who lived above Mrs Smith, said: "She seemed scared, too scared, and very protective of her children. She avoided talking."
Mrs Smith, who last night remained in custody ahead of a court appearance and was undergoing a psychiatric evaluation, phoned to book the hotel room and paid in advance for a four-night stay. Fellow guests said the mother had appeared pale and drawn, allowing her daughter to play alone on the balcony of their room on Monday.
When asked why she needed the emergency services after her call to the hotel reception on Tuesday lunchtime, she reportedly replied: "You will see."
The Spanish newspaper El Pais described how police then brought the Briton down from her room in handcuffs. A member of staff said: "She looked very serious, cold."
and before Mrs Smith allegedly murdered her two children, see below. I suppose it is difficult for all of us to imagine just what it must be like being married to a paedophile and what her state of mind had become prior to doing such a terrible thing.
TV psychic from Carlisle held over child rape
By Chris Story
Last updated at 12:02, Tuesday, 11 May 2010
A former Cumbria-based psychic who is one of Britain’s most wanted men has been arrested in Spain.
Martin Smith. © News & StarMartin Anthony Smith, 45, was being hunted by police probing a string of serious sex crime allegations.
The fugitive’s arrest followed an international appeal to trace him.
Crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers, which led that plea, said Smith, a medium who had appeared on television, was apprehended in Barcelona Friday – more than two years after he skipped bail in the UK.
He was wanted in connection with a rape of a child under 16, gross indecency with a girl under the age of 16, indecent assault of a girl under 16 and attempted rape of a girl under 16.
Smith, who lived in Sandsfield Park, Carlisle was on a 10 most-wanted list released by Crimestoppers in Malaga, Spain, in September.
He is the 34th person out of 50 to be arrested as part of the Operation Captura campaign, through which British crime-fighting agencies work with Spanish authorities to track down wanted suspects.
Crimestoppers’ director of operations, Dave Cording, said today: “This man was being sought in connection with an extremely serious crime.
“Operation Captura continues to go from strength to strength which is due to law enforcement in both the UK and Spain working so successfully together with the help of vital information provided by the public.
“Nobody should underestimate how important their information about crime is – just one phone call could be the missing piece of the jigsaw that could help bring justice to victims and their families.”
Smith, who was born in North Shields, was wanted in connection with a string of alleged crimes, carried out over 10 years.
Cumbrian detectives were investigating the allegations when Smith failed to answer bail in January 2008.
He worked with a firm called Target Management in Brampton, had business interests throughout Cumbria, and had called himself a professional medium, making his television debut in 2007 on a programme featuring a Cumbrian country house.
Smith was asked to join the team of satellite TV ghost show Most Haunted as a guest medium for an investigation into Brougham Hall, near Penrith.
The alleged attacks happened between 1995 and 2005. No charges had been brought against Smith.
The alleged victim the case centres on lives in Cumbria.
Maybe Kate and Gerry were in Spain/Portugal recently looking for a new home. Given the success of capturing fugitives and how famous they have made themselves that would be a little futile.
One thing is for sure, they would much rather get Portuguese Police back on the case rather than what they face here in UK. After Gerry's rather perverse suggestion that any PJ's who suspect him should be removed from the investigation of course. I am sure the Portuguese authorities will be taking Gerry's request to get Ricardo Paiva the sack, totally seriously! Maybe the Prosecutor too, who thinks the McCanns could have been charged with kidnapping and trafficking Madeleine. Maybe Gerry needs to pick his own police officers and prosecutors, I rather suspect that is the case...but no one is listening to Edgar, are they Gerry?
I notice Mrs Smith had two other children from a prior relationship. I wonder what happened to them ...??
That would be enough I suppose to make Mrs Smith very ill.
Good Morning SB,
I was reading your earlier reply to my post yesterday. I think you are right up to a point. Of course influential friends cannot change the Mc’s culpability but expensive lawyers, paid for my millionaire benefactors, can. This is an unfortunate fact in law you tend to get what you pay for. The best lawyers cost the most and are more likely to get the guilty off or given a lighter sentence.
The Madeleine fund money has also allowed the Macs to bring in media manipulators who have made the case a global media phenomenon, still discussed 3 years down the line. The Portuguese police would, imo, have had to be more cautious in bringing charges without 100% foolproof evidence as they were under the glare of pan world media scrutiny and the best legal brains in the country. 100% proof they did not have so no charges have been brought. Anyone else in these circumstances, but with out the backers, would, again imo, have been brought to court and it is likely that a conviction would have been obtained.
Although the British police could look into Madeleine’s disappearance further I believe unless a confession or lucky break presents its self no further review will occur in Britain. The crime happened in Portugal and hopefully a break will occur somewhere down the line which will see the Portuguese reopen the case. For the pj it is now a matter of honour and integrity (they have been made to look fools by the press) for the British police it's just extra expenditure that could be spent better elsewhere.
Lucky breaks – since following this case I have read a number of similar cases and after the initial investigation was shelved an almost unconnected lucky break occurs years down the line. This break allows the police to unexpectedly find evidence that has eluded them before and obtain a successful prosecution. I hope this or a confession will happen in this case.
Hm...I suppose a confenssion will be the same day we see pigs fly!
Hi Viv,
As you say the Smith case is very complex. Regarding Lianne Smith I thought I heard on the news this morning one of her daughters from a previous marriage apparently went missing. Could be completely unconnected to the murder of her two children by Martin Smith but who knows.
Hi Wiz
I do not accept that expensive lawyers ahead of any arrest and charge can change the culpability of Kate and Gerry McCann.
It is the conduct of them and their associates that have made life almost impossible for the Portuguese Police, the lawyers were simply part of a belt and braces approach to make sure they did not have to go back to Portugal.
IMO they planned to carry out this crime and a read of the files will confirm there is a great deal of evidence of this. Part of getting away with it was being in Portugal rather than UK. Gerry had all of his contacts ready to engage high live people and believe in his story which given they are doctors he knew they would. He demanded the Ambassador in Portugal attend and I can just imagine the sort of intense pressure this man was bringing on Portuguese authorities. From the first moments he was also setting in motion a deliberate high level media campaign seriously frustrating the police inquiry/attacking the PJ.
Due to their status and the sort of high level interference he was deliberately setting in place it did skew the PJ inquiry, making them lose the golden hours pursuing what Gerry insisted had happened, a stranger abduction.
Literally no stone was left unturned in making sure the police could not successfully build a case. Madeleine was caused to just disappear into thin air without leaving any forensic trace. False witnesses were created of sightings of the so called abductor, namely Jane Tanner and Martin Smith. Just to make sure there was utter confusion the crime scene was deliberately trashed prior to the police even arriving.
Goncalo admits that mistakes were made and even Madeleine's clothing was not seized. The McCanns were allowed to removed property from the apartment when the whole thing should have just been immediately and completely locked down. That did not happen due to the fear and intimidation Gerry used immediately against the PJ.
If they did kill Madeleine in that apartment it will take a major breakthrough to prove that. But if that were the case the McCanns would not have that much to fear now.
That does not explain why they refused to mention the reward monies and put out a confusing array of pictures of Madeleine. If she was dead and they had disposed of her body, why would they bother?
I have no doubt this was premeditated and wicked and both the area, the country and that particular apartment were chosen with great care including the (lack of) childcare arrangements.
I believe the Gaspar statements about the conversation concerning Madeleine between Gerry and Payne is the vital key to this investigation and Madeleine had to disappear due to the abuse she had suffered. I also believe there is a clear possibility she is still alive and that explains the fear and continuing activity to defend themselves that we see from Kate and Gerry. But, on the other hand, if you are right and she did die in the apartment, I would have to say that was planned and deliberate murder and they still need to continue to defend themselves because the aim has always been to make Maddie the Movie and becomes multi millionaires. That IMO is the narcisstic dream of Gerry and quite possibly Kate also, but I do think it far more likely they disposed of Madeleine alive.
Either way, it is not because of expensive lawyers they cannot be prosecuted, it is a straight forward matter of lack of clear evidence as to precisely what they did with Madeleine and that is precisely the way Gerry planned it to be. He does not give two hoots about people knowing it was him, for him the issue is, well you just cannot prove it, can you. But Kate does care and is so increasing signs of the terrible strain this dreadful scheme has put her under.
Mrs Smith killed the kids by the way and I am implying that maybe Mr Smith interfered with her two children from a former relationship. When he got arrested for that she just snapped and thought well you have ruined all the kids now. Who knows about the girl 5 that was his. This type of offender cannot keep their hands off their own children either.
HI again Wiz
Neither do I accept that only the Pt Police can deal with this, in fact I find that an incredible suggestion, it would be impossible for them to properly investigate this.
I think it is patently obvious the case was shelved in Portugal by a joint decision taken with UK, that we would continue to investigate and UK most certainly have jurisdiction to charge whatever they did and we always do, regardless the offences were committed abroad.
Sexual abuse/kidnapping/tracking - Sexual Offences Act 2003
Homicide - Offences against the Person Act 1861.
British authorities including LP earlier this year confirm quite categorically this is an ongoing investigation. Whatever they did with Madeleine, when there is sufficient evidence they will be charged by Leicester Police. That is why they continue to spin against LP and suggest another force is taking over, they are not! But it is certainly true to say that other agencies and other forces will be assisting LP, that always happens in a really major case such as this. At one point almost every force in UK was working on the case!
* unfortunately my typing errors persist!
trafficking not tracking although the latter would he helpful!
of course part of that belt and braces approach to make sure they did not have to go back to Portugal was vital and did involve lawyers acting for the rest of them, not just Kate and Gerry.
Quite obviously British and Portuguese Police wanted them all to go back and attend a reconstruction because that would, beyond any doubt, have yielded vital evidence agaisnt all of them. Even down to Kate's curtains going whoosh that were actually hemmed in by the bed and the chair holding them in place, never mind the wind dynamics.
It is true to say that the expensive lawyers they have all engaged have helped them to frustrate police inquiries and it is a great pity there was no legal basis upon which they could have been forced to go back and do the reconstruction. Again, Gerry has used the jurisdictional problems to his great advantage. It is him that has made this case so difficult to prosecute and that is why CEOP are so interested in him. This kind of insidious behaviour by a clever and highly manipulate person like him only serves to make the police more determined.
Who knows maybe Smith is a friend of Gerry's? Gerry has thought bringing in psychics would be very helpful to his cause, suggesting there were 3000 reports the PJ needed to work through. This man is just plain sick and twisted.
Pure coincidence I am sure but how weird, Gerry's Irish witness is called Martin Smith, and this paedophile is also called Martin Smith. Of course those are two incredibly common names but..
Real bad omen Gerry, and that is me with my psychic head on:-)))
Is this the man who actually has conducted a review, if so, I am not surprised Kate and Gerry forgot to drop his name out. He has spoken of the discrepancies in their story from the outset
Top forensic scientist set to reveal secrets
expert who has worked on high-profile cases will be a main speaker at event
By Jane Candlish
Published: 17/05/2010
EXPERT: Professor Dave Barclay worked on the Omagh bombing case. Sandy McCook
More Pictures
A TOP forensic scientist will reveal the secrets of his profession during a series of talks in Wester Ross today.
Professor Dave Barclay will be one of the main speakers at the Murder, Mystery and Microscopes event in Ullapool.
The presentations will look at how forensic science is used in crime fiction and television.
Award-winning crime author Stuart MacBride will also read from his latest book, Dark Blood, at the MacPhail Centre from 6.30pm-8.30pm.
The event is a collaboration between the Macaulay Institute and Aberdeen and the Robert Gordon universities.
Prof Barclay, a senior lecturer at RGU, has been involved in reviewing more than 200 murder investigations, cold cases and inquiries into alleged miscarriages of justice. He has worked on the Bloody Sunday inquiry, the Omagh bombing, the World’s End murders in Edinburgh and the Millie Dowler and Soham murders.
His experience has also led him to becoming an adviser on the BBC’s Waking the Dead series. More recently he was asked to review the Portuguese police investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
Others taking part in the day are Lorna Dawson, principal soil scientist at the Macaulay, James Grieve, senior lecturer in forensic medicine at Aberdeen University and a police forensic pathologist.
Tickets are £5 and £3 for concessions. To book, e-mail murdermystery@macaulay. ac.uk or call 01224 395277.
They can also be bought on the night on a first-come, first-served basis.
Read more: http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1738602?UserKey=#ixzz0oUOQjk33
When saying Professor Barclay reviewed the Madeleine McCann investigation it is not clear whether they mean in 2007 or more recently but it would be interesting to know. I know he was certainly involved in 2007 so perhaps it means back then?
Any thoughts?
Wizard....,
With respect, I cannot agree that the Mccanns wanton influence and the vast sums of money paid to lawyers etc has the slightest bearing on the position they are in with regard to the law. You refer to "getting what you pay for" which is appropriate to many aspects of life but not necessarily the case with professionals. Pecuniary considerations are not always the primary reason for an adopted life path nor does it dictate the ability of one professional against another ~ its more a case of how any one individual prioritises. In some cases to which you allude an expensive lawyer does not justify his fees by professional ability but by his/her willingness to be corrupted. By the same token, a NHS doctor can equal the ability of a doctor who chooses to work in a private clinic ~ the one chooses dedication as opposed to money. The same I think applies to lawyers but still they cannot alter the culpability of the suspected criminal.
The Portuguese police where clearly sabotaged from the word go which was the ultimate intention of Gerry Mccann and his devoted followers. However, this does not change the fact that the PJ would require certainty of a suspect’s guilt before proceeding with criminal prosecution, the same as anywhere else in the civilized world. Without doubt the Mccanns made sure this didn't happen and that is where their brilliance begins and hopefully ends. They made no allowance for public reaction nor for the tenacity of the British police which I believe will be their ultimate demise!
The above I feel also applies to the likes of Clarence Mitchell. He is not swinging from one political preference to another; he is just doing a job and furthering his career ~ albeit very lucrative! Rather like your expensive lawyers, private dicks and image consultants etc, not to be trusted!
Yes, like so many other criminal cases this could take years to resolve but on the other hand it could be tomorrow! We live in hope!
Great post SB, you certainly have a way with words and it is interesting that we both have such a similar opinion on this case which is different to the usual posts that can be read by many who choose to blog on this.
I suspect that many of the public actually feel the same way. They are not the least bit clear that the McCanns killed Madeleine, but are clear that there were responsible for her disappearance.
I tend to agree with your view about Mitchell also. I doubt he is personally involved, it was just a really great professional challenge to him.
If you want to be considered one of the best media spinners what better way to try and prove it than by managing to alter public perceptions about Kate and Gerry McCann. I think that if his strategy alone had been listened to and followed through, the McCanns image would be far better than what it is. Gerry is such a forceful and egotistical personality, he seeks out and listens to the advice, but then does what he considers he, knows to be best. The problem with that is he does not look through the lens of an ordinary person, he would find that impossible.
We know that Mitchell has been dismayed on occasions with decisions the McCanns have made.
It would be interesting to know what he thinks about that dreadful video/release of Maddie fully made up. That decision was so flawed it seems to suggest this couple are under terrible pressure and UK police are very good at applying it!
As you say, we live in hope, it could be tomorrow, it could be yet more years.
I wonder if the McCanns feel used and abused by Clarence Mitchell, as he has used their need for a spinner to showcase his skills and re-build his flagging career, with some considerable success by the looks of things. It is odd that he is still apparently retained by them including his new Director's job, over three years later. What do they feel they need him for now I wonder and how will his new employers feel about that? Could it have an adverse impact for them?
Maybe Mitchell is now quietly dropping them having achieved what he set out to do, proving how good he is! I wonder what Moshi Monsters are, clients of his new employers, lol! Hopefully they will not be supplying Gerry approved "toys" for the twins to go and hunt the Maddie Monster.
Former BBC News Correspondent Clarence Mitchell joins LEWIS PR as Director of Media Strategy and Public AffairsWednesday, May 19th, 2010 Global communications agency, LEWIS PR, has hired seasoned former BBC journalist Clarence Mitchell as its new Director of Media Strategy and Public Affairs.
Clarence spent more than 19 years reporting for BBC Television and Radio News, including a stint as Royal Correspondent where he reported, amongst other things, on the aftermath of the crash that killed Diana, Princess of Wales. As a general News Correspondent he regularly covered conflict zones including the Balkans and Northern Ireland, as well as reporting many high profile, domestic crime stories. He spent several weeks in New York following 9/11.
After leaving the BBC, Clarence joined the Cabinet Office to become Director of the Government’s Media Monitoring Unit, overseeing its development and later transfer to the Central Office of Information (COI). Whilst there, he was seconded to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and sent to Portugal to act as the FCO media handler for Kate and Gerry McCann after their daughter Madeleine disappeared in Praia da Luz three years ago. The McCanns later took Clarence on as their full time media spokesman, a position he retains to this day.
Most recently, Clarence ran the Media Monitoring Unit for The Conservative Party during the recent 2010 General Election campaign.
LEWIS PR celebrates its 15th anniversary in June and is planning a series of global events as part of its birthday activities. Its global client roster includes Panasonic, Audi, Blackberry RIM, bmi British Midland International, Emma Bridgewater, Salesforce, Lexmark, Seasons in Style and Moshi Monsters.
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