McCann Witness Jes Wilkins & the Big Fat Gypsy Scam

I've always thought the travellers were incredibily naive to allow this 'insight' into their lives. it could only ever lead to expoitation & demonisation of all Gypsy/Traveller groups.

I imagine Jes Wilkins has become a very wealthy man through this exploitation. A man of little morals I think.

Big Fat Gypsy goldmine: Behind the scenes claims that TV company has exploited travellers to make it very rich indeed

Newly rich company behind TV series now has swanky offices in Chelsea and LA
But 'exploited' bypsies could stage boycott - despite claims of secret cash payments
Is that why TV bosses are planning a new show... My Big Fat CRIMINAL Wedding?

Snipped: "But according to a source, finding enough gypsies to fill a series in just ten months of production was very difficult for its makers, led by Jes Wilkins, Firecracker’s head of programmes and the executive producer of the series.

‘It is well known that payments were made to the gypsies who appeared in the first series,’ claims the source. ‘It’s understood Firecracker paid cash for photographs and other expenses.’

But the series failed to answer many pertinent questions, such as where the gypsies found the six-figure sums often spent on the weddings.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2106498/Big-Fat-Gypsy-goldmine-How-TV-company-exploited-travellers-make-rich-indeed.html#ixzz1nUg01EM6

Thanks for highlighting this Sarah Rose. It`s quite interesting to see that the very person who was GM`s alibi is now in the news himself for gypsy related matters - making a nice packet as well. Seem to be a lot of people who are film making experts around the Maddie case.

I am not surprised by this at all.

In fact - it's just another scam on people who scam, on people who scam, who scam, who scam, who scam, who scam,scam,scam,scam,scam.............................Scamland!

so one of Gerry Mccanns main alibi witnesses is a man who scams gypsies for a living, a man that takes something and then edits it to show it in a light that means what he wants it to mean- you really could not make it up

tabs wrote:so one of Gerry Mccanns main alibi witnesses is a man who scams gypsies for a living, a man that takes something and then edits it to show it in a light that means what he wants it to mean- you really could not make it up

That sums it up nicely, tabs.

As your signature statement says Angelique "When a character is not clear to you, look at their friends". Jez Wilkins is one of the most important people in this case, as Pat Brown has recently pointed out.

"Considering Kate and Gerry downplayed any importance to the Smith sighting until far later when they agreed it could be the abductor but ONLY if it was the same man Jane saw and Kate insists that it is mighty important the three of them were there when Jane saw a child being carried off, I repeat, the only reason this should be a big deal is that Jeremy is Gerry’s alibi.

Oldartform wrote:As your signature statement says Angelique "When a character is not clear to you, look at their friends". Jez Wilkins is one of the most important people in this case, as Pat Brown has recently pointed out.

"Considering Kate and Gerry downplayed any importance to the Smith sighting until far later when they agreed it could be the abductor but ONLY if it was the same man Jane saw and Kate insists that it is mighty important the three of them were there when Jane saw a child being carried off, I repeat, the only reason this should be a big deal is that Jeremy is Gerry’s alibi.

What seems to be forgotten is that Jeremy Wilkins saw a suspicious person in the Tapas bar. A blonde man with Rasta type hair. We've never heard of this man again - why not?

PJ:
on 4 May he gives a statement to the police (translated by Robert Murat) . the statement says that he contacted the police to relay suspicious "rasta" man that he saw in the tapas bar area on the third between 8.30 and 9.00 pm. Nothing in this statement about seeing Gerry or Jane Tanner. !!!!!
Perhaps the simple explanation is that he's 'on the square' and helping a brother?

I'm going to have to go through it all again! Because I though he started to walk around somewhat earlier than 9.00 pm. 8.15?

Oldartform wrote:Thanks for highlighting this Sarah Rose. It`s quite interesting to see that the very person who was GM`s alibi is now in the news himself for gypsy related matters - making a nice packet as well. Seem to be a lot of people who are film making experts around the Maddie case.

I have a confession to make Oldartform, until I came to reply to you I always read your username as Oldfartform, sorry.

Back to the topic. Yes, the mcCann's alibi *star witness* appears to be a very unscrupulous man. I doubt any of this 'bad publicity' will do him or his company any harm though, these sort are always handsomely rewarded and
he does appear to have carried out the task(s?) he was assigned. (Just my humble opinion of course) ;-)

Angelique hits the nail on the head.. nothing surprises anymore, it's all one big scam.

I hate to be going on about this, but what surprises me about JW and the sighting of the suspicious blonde rasta in the Tapas, is that it is never mentioned again, it's also not compatible with any of the other descriptions.

so here's the rest:

on 4 May he gives a statement to the police (translated by Robert Murat) . the statement says that he contacted the police to relay suspicious "rasta" man that he saw in the tapas bar area on the third between 8.30 and 9.00 pm. Nothing in this statement about seeing Gerry or Jane Tanner.

Given that he says he was woken up at 1.30 in the morning of 4th and asked if he saw anything, you wonder why, if he was suspicious about rasta man, he didn't mention it then but waited until the next day to mention it.

His next statement is 7 May after he returned home. This statement comes about from a request by Amaral to leicester police to question Wilkins further. Presumably because Gerry has given a statement saying he talked with Wilkins on 3rd.

So the police get a statement .
This time he says he left his apartment between 8.15 and 8.30pm, walked around the complex, went to the tapas bar, saw GM (no time given) then went back to his apartment. He says he was woken up at 1am by the resort manager and Matt telling him madeleine was gone and asking if he'd seen anything. He just says "you're joking".
Now, given that 1am on 4th is BEFORE giving the statement on 4th about "rasta man", why wouldn't he mention seeing him at this point, given that it was suspicious enough to have mentioned him the next day?

Also, in giving this statement 3 days after his 4 may statement, why not include rasta man?
He doesn't at this point mention seeing Jane Tanner on his way down to the tapas bar either...

Next statement is 31 October 2007 which is pretty much the same as the 7 May statement.

Next statement is 8 April 2008 and this is more comprehensive:
-8.30 pm left apartment
- on way down to tapas bar looked over at Mccann's block and saw Jane Tanner in front of the block wearing purple top.
- went down to tapas bar, saw rasta man
- back up towards his apartment, saw Gerry between 8.45 and 9.15pm

Tigger, I see what you're highlighting. Jes Wilkin's witness statements do not stand up to scrutiny, riddled with inconsistencies & ever changing to suit the ever changing 'story'. I can't take this guy as a credible witness, he's proving himself to be very dodgy - If the reports in the Daily Mail are true that is.

tigger wrote:

Oldartform wrote:As your signature statement says Angelique "When a character is not clear to you, look at their friends". Jez Wilkins is one of the most important people in this case, as Pat Brown has recently pointed out.

"Considering Kate and Gerry downplayed any importance to the Smith sighting until far later when they agreed it could be the abductor but ONLY if it was the same man Jane saw and Kate insists that it is mighty important the three of them were there when Jane saw a child being carried off, I repeat, the only reason this should be a big deal is that Jeremy is Gerry’s alibi.

What seems to be forgotten is that Jeremy Wilkins saw a suspicious person in the Tapas bar. A blonde man with Rasta type hair. We've never heard of this man again - why not?

PJ:
on 4 May he gives a statement to the police (translated by Robert Murat) . the statement says that he contacted the police to relay suspicious "rasta" man that he saw in the tapas bar area on the third between 8.30 and 9.00 pm. Nothing in this statement about seeing Gerry or Jane Tanner. !!!!!
Perhaps the simple explanation is that he's 'on the square' and helping a brother?

I'm going to have to go through it all again! Because I though he started to walk around somewhat earlier than 9.00 pm. 8.15?

THE `RASTA' WAS IDENTIFIED AS MICHAEL SPERREY

Sara_Rose_ wrote:

Oldartform wrote:Thanks for highlighting this Sarah Rose. It`s quite interesting to see that the very person who was GM`s alibi is now in the news himself for gypsy related matters - making a nice packet as well. Seem to be a lot of people who are film making experts around the Maddie case.

I have a confession to make Oldartform, until I came to reply to you I always read your username as Oldfartform, sorry. Back to the topic. Yes, the mcCann's alibi *star witness* appears to be a very unscrupulous man. I doubt any of this 'bad publicity' will do him or his company any harm though, these sort are always handsomely rewarded and
he does appear to have carried out the task(s?) he was assigned. (Just my humble opinion of course) ;-)

Angelique hits the nail on the head.. nothing surprises anymore, it's all one big scam.

Well I suppose its quite appropriate for one with IBS I could also be Oldburpform. You made me laugh because Oldfart is the name my sons used to call their dad (whose sadly not with us anymore).

Getting back to JW, I could well be wrong, but from the outset I have found it odd that he and his partner have come under no suspicion whatsoever from bloggers and forumites, when nearly every other person associated with this case has. He, just happening to be around at that time immediately rang alarm bells with me, which increased tenfold after reading the embroidered piece of flannel his partner wrote in the press - some people try too hard. I may have a suspicious mind but if I was wanting to remove a dead child from the scene of a crime, what better way to do it than in a baby buggy. I may be totally wrong, its just a hunch. But its been bugging me since Pat mentioned how important he was to GM as an alibi. Nothing should be taken at face value.

Oldartform wrote:

Sara_Rose_ wrote:

Oldartform wrote:Thanks for highlighting this Sarah Rose. It`s quite interesting to see that the very person who was GM`s alibi is now in the news himself for gypsy related matters - making a nice packet as well. Seem to be a lot of people who are film making experts around the Maddie case.

I have a confession to make Oldartform, until I came to reply to you I always read your username as Oldfartform, sorry. Back to the topic. Yes, the mcCann's alibi *star witness* appears to be a very unscrupulous man. I doubt any of this 'bad publicity' will do him or his company any harm though, these sort are always handsomely rewarded and
he does appear to have carried out the task(s?) he was assigned. (Just my humble opinion of course) ;-)

Angelique hits the nail on the head.. nothing surprises anymore, it's all one big scam.

Well I suppose its quite appropriate for one with IBS I could also be Oldburpform. You made me laugh because Oldfart is the name my sons used to call their dad (whose sadly not with us anymore).

Getting back to JW, I could well be wrong, but from the outset I have found it odd that he and his partner have come under no suspicion whatsoever from bloggers and forumites, when nearly every other person associated with this case has. He, just happening to be around at that time immediately rang alarm bells with me, which increased tenfold after reading the embroidered piece of flannel his partner wrote in the press - some people try too hard. I may have a suspicious mind but if I was wanting to remove a dead child from the scene of a crime, what better way to do it than in a baby buggy. I may be totally wrong, its just a hunch. But its been bugging me since Pat mentioned how important he was to GM as an alibi. Nothing should be taken at face value.

Thank you for taking it in good grace, makes me chuckle everytime i read your name now, that's a good thing - lightheartedness. :-)

I've seen many discussions online relating to JW & his partner (the Crimewatch woman) so can't agree they haven't come under suspicion, (tigger highlights the unreliability of JW's statements a few posts back) but I do agree this couple haven't received the scrutiny they deserved. Unfortunately the general public trusted & did take JW at face value. Shame if it gets around he's not so trustworthy afterall.

Strange how many people have rampantly prospered since being involved in the McCann case. Reminds me of the midas touch.

Sorry Oldartform I thought the same as Sarah_Rose!! Its my eyes

Jez Wilkins partner Bridget O'Donnell was the one who said that she 'admired' the mccanns for leaving their kids all alone in an unlocked apartment after one of them had been stolen!!!

Both Jez and Brig were producers for Crimewatch UK and we know how involved they got in this scam

I am sorry to disappoint any illusions that reality programmes are real, producers are there to make money through tax relief and also need their investment into a programme to generate the interest and publicity that will make them profits, which involves paying certain characters before hand to create the needed publicity. Producers will never invest into a project and sit back and let it happen, they totally influence it

JD16 wrote:

Producers will never invest into a project and sit back and let it happen, they totally influence it unquote

I'd even go further that that, they write the script - this is ages old, it's to do with what is a good story and what isn't.
People get misquoted and it can never be put right - who doesn't know 'the rivers of blood' that Powell spoke about, except that he never said it.

This was a good story, he was on the spot, by accident or design, but no way could he let this story slip from his grasp. I wonder how successful he was up to then. Cosying up to the McCs would have been a good career move.