What the papers say - Amaral V McCanns trial

eddie wrote:

MJH1901 wrote:I think it makes him look relaxed and confident.

Sweet.

In that case Kate looked more relaxed and confident than him, didn't she?

fred wrote:Poor old Brunty the tosser, looks windswept, cold and fed up

eddie wrote:The Sun only really care about breasts anyway, who actually listens to what they say??

lnorton wrote:Give credit where it's due. If Amaral can doze off at the start of a trial that is aimed at taking 1.2 million euros from him then he is one cool dude! I do not for one moment think he was dozing. Who was the fictional detective who listened to all evidence with his eyes closed and appeared to be sleeping only to conclusively solve the case every time?

vivvy wrote:

lnorton wrote:Give credit where it's due. If Amaral can doze off at the start of a trial that is aimed at taking 1.2 million euros from him then he is one cool dude! I do not for one moment think he was dozing. Who was the fictional detective who listened to all evidence with his eyes closed and appeared to be sleeping only to conclusively solve the case every time?

Wasn't it Columbo?

fuzeta wrote:I know its been a good day for Amaral but its only the first day. I am worried about what scams the McCanns have up their sleeves. They dont have a top lawyer for nothing plus who is this mystery witness. I hope we are not counting our chicks etc.

buildersbum wrote:THIS PAPER SELLS FOR 20p WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU!!!

fuzeta wrote:

eddie wrote:

Bren wrote:

eddie wrote:
And Amara dozing off?? He let himself down, I am a bit disgusted tbh.

Sorry eddie, that is uncalled for imo, perhaps it was just the reporter putting a spin on it, because how many times have you sat there and thought with your eyes shut or your head in your hands and contemplated at what is happening, because I know I have? Anyway if Goncalo did accidentally doze off, I can see the poor guy being mentally and emotionally drained and probably not having a lot of sleep with worry about what is going to happen in Court, doubt if he got much sleep at all last night. Not surprising really is it? Not as if he is being sued for a few quid is it, must be hell of a worry, wonder if we could cope as admirably as he has should we ever be faced with his situation.

Hallo Bren and welcome back!
Let me just say one thing: If it is unture then that's fine and good.

BUT: if it were Gerry or Kate accused of dozing off then everyone would be jumping down their throats and saying exactly what I have just said! I want justice as much as the next person but I am not blindly unfair either....you have to admit you would have commented had it been the other way round and if he did doze off then my comment was very called for.

There is no way he would have dozed off Edds. He has too much at stake. He must have tried for a certain look and it did not come off. He should have practised it in front of his wife. I bet the McCanns are practising all their moves now I bet Kate is in front of the mirror right now. She is probably putting make up on Gerry's nose so that he does not look too much like pinocchio. She has her work cut out there. I swear it has got bigger and bigger over the last two years. You know he is coming when that hooks round the door

keepingmum wrote:Never thought I would say this but I take my hat off to Brunty today. And seeing what the wind did to Kate's hairdo cheered me up no end.

bert wrote:Hi Big_l,

Bit of a shock eh? Only temporary I'm sure.

Wouldn't get too carried away with what Brunty says, or doesn't say.

He will still report the same old twaddle in the end.

The presenter was doing his best to convince us that Goncalo Amaral was on trial as well.

SKY is SKY and purely PINK and ever more shall be so.

Portuguese police believed Madeleine McCann died in her family's holiday flat and that her parents faked her abduction, a court heard today.

Kate and Gerry McCann faced former detective Goncalo Amaral across a courtroom as he tried to overturn a ban on his book that claims their daughter is dead.

One senior detective told the hearing in Lisbon police made the McCanns "arguidos", or suspects, in the case after concluding Madeleine died accidentally and her parents covered up the death by inventing a kidnapping.

Chief Inspector Tavares de Almeida said he believed Madeleine died in her family's apartment in the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz on the day she went missing.

He told the court the main evidence for this was the findings of British police sniffer dogs sent to Portugal to examine the flat.

The McCanns' lawyer, Isabel Duarte, challenged this claim, arguing that the sniffer dog results did not constitute proof and were not allowed as evidence in the case.

Mr and Mrs McCann, both 41, from Rothley, Leicestershire, flew to Portugal yesterday ahead of the trial at Lisbon's main civil court, which is listed for three days.

Mr Amaral is calling a series of senior Portuguese officials involved in the investigation into Madeleine's disappearance as witnesses to support his allegations.

His lawyers argue that the material in his book is contained in the official Portuguese police files for the case, many of which were made public in August 2008.

Jose Cunha de Magalhaes e Meneses, the local public prosecutor in the Madeleine investigation, gave evidence via video link.

Asked whether he believed that the little girl was dead, he said it was "50-50".

Mr Amaral's lawyers are also seeking evidence from a British policeman, Metropolitan Police Detective Sergeant Jose De Freitas, who was seconded to Leicestershire Police to help with the British end of the investigation.

Scotland Yard confirmed that it was considering correspondence from the Portuguese authorities.

Mr and Mrs McCann are not expected to give evidence.

Madeleine was nearly four when she went missing from her family's apartment in Praia da Luz on May 3 2007 while her parents dined with friends nearby.

Mr and Mrs McCann were made "arguidos" four months later, but this was lifted when the investigation was shelved in July 2008.

The couple have always strenuously denied having any involvement in the disappearance their daughter, whom they believe was abducted.

Mr Amaral at first led the Madeleine inquiry for Portugal's CID, the Policia Judiciaria (PJ).

But he was taken off the case in October 2007 after criticising the British police in a newspaper interview.

In his book Maddie: The Truth Of The Lie, published in July 2008, Mr Amaral claimed that Madeleine died in her family's holiday flat on the night she vanished and questioned the McCanns account that she was abducted.

A Portuguese judge granted the McCanns an injunction in September last year banning further sale or publication of the book.

The former policeman was also prohibited from repeating his claims about Madeleine or her parents.

The McCanns sat just yards away from Mr Amaral at the front of the public gallery in Lisbon's 7th Civil Court.

They occasionally whispered to each other and their Portuguese translators, but made little reaction to what was said.

A spokeswoman for the couple said sitting through the allegations made in today's hearing was painful for the couple.

"I think it is hurting them. They can feel hurt by these things being repeated again and again and again," she said.

"However, they know what really happened so they are confident. They just want to find their daughter."

Grenville Green, 66, from Nottingham, travelled to Lisbon with his son Stephen, 44, to show his support for Mr Amaral.

As the former detective arrived at the court building in driving rain this morning, Mr Green shouted out: "Goncalo, good luck my friend."

The McCanns are also seeking 1.2 million euros (£1.08 million) in compensation for defamation in separate legal proceedings against Mr Amaral in Portugal.

They have said any damages awarded by the courts would go towards paying for private investigators to look for Madeleine

buildersbum wrote:Lets hope that Goncola calls Mr Smith from Ireland as a witness!!
That surely would outdo any secret witness the Mccanns have!



Remember folks what Amaral said..........DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE ME!!!!

steve1295 wrote:Iknow it might be outof context but i was reading the sky threads and according to rebecca its GAs fault that Maddie has not been found. OOOOhhhh please.Still it was funny to see it written

Ambersuz wrote:

buildersbum wrote:Lets hope that Goncola calls Mr Smith from Ireland as a witness!!
That surely would outdo any secret witness the Mccanns have!



Remember folks what Amaral said..........DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE ME!!!!

OMG now that would be good! How about the Gaspars too? Double whammy!

buildersbum wrote:THIS PAPER SELLS FOR 20p WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU!!!