Sky Live Day 1 - 12/01/10

fedrules wrote:

Alfiefinn wrote:In retrospect, I think it was particularly bad luck for them to have had the hearing rescheduled to today - the day when dear old, kindly former spin doctor Alistair Campbell gave evidence to the Iraq enquiry.

After all, as we've seen in the past, the government love nothing better than the media focussing on a nice, juicy story and not paying too much close attention to what they're up to.

A good day to bury bad news, methinks (so to speak)

'
Just what I've been thinking..no other news site apart from Sky seems to be mentioning the McCanns or the breaking news..Not breaking news to most realistic people anyway..

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I've just looked on the BBC website... NADA... Nothing on the Daily Mail's today either. Quite low down on the Daily Express site there was a fairly non-committal small article about the McCann's return to face Amaral... 'heartache for McCanns', and that, but no suggestion of an evil-minded 'disgraced' policeman. I suppose that's something. 'Have your say' was not available for the story, natch.

Yesterday on the Mail website there was another short article. Comments were supposedly allowed. I sent a short one in... Nothing too contentious, but with, I thought, a couple of telling points... However, the '0 contributions on this topic. Be the first to comment.' stayed there all the times I went back to look. Hmmmm

The mcanns' lawyer is rebuked for saying de almeida was accused of torturing suspects - he was never charged. 1 minute ago from txt

She's not going to be happy the McC's lawyer

ondipaolo:
The mcanns' lawyer is rebuked for saying de almeida was accused of torturing suspects - he was never charged.


my god they are getting desperate

carlymichelle wrote:oh my my my


The mcanns' lawyer is rebuked for saying de almeida was accused of torturing suspects - he was never charged

Smacks of desperation to me!

Adjourned for lunch! Back at 3pm.

The Famous Grouse wrote:

carlymichelle wrote:oh my my my


The mcanns' lawyer is rebuked for saying de almeida was accused of torturing suspects - he was never charged

Smacks of desperation to me!

If you can't refute the statement, try to dig some dirt!

carlymichelle wrote:oh my my my the mcanns lawyer giot into trouble !!!


The mcanns' lawyer is rebuked for saying de almeida was accused of torturing suspects - he was never charged. less than a minute ago from txt

Wow! That was below the belt. That lawyer should know better.

adjourned for lunch

quick someone cover the airports in case they do a runner

Bum! I've got the school run then. It'll take me ages to catch up

Hare wrote:And where exactly is Jane Tanner in this fiasco ?. The McCann's only witness who claims to have seen the abductor, you might have thought she'd pop along, if only to show moral support

She'd get shredded !!

this is very spangly and glittery excitement.

Court ajourned for lunch back at 3,check list make beds,wash up put hoover round,prepare dinner?and all before 3 o'clock.

oh please...can i go to the loo now?

I am thoroughly enjoying this so far! Massive thanks to everyone who is posting all the info.

tabs wrote:adjourned for lunch

quick someone cover the airports in case they do a runner

Only for those who haven't lost their appetite

oliver, don't talk to me about excitement. I was so het up about this earlier I had to do a Boxercise dvd to vent my stress and rage. But I didn't want to miss out and was trying to read this thread whilst attempting press ups. Not advisable

Thank you so much to those who are bringing us the live feed

chirpy wrote:I am thoroughly enjoying this so far! Massive thanks to everyone who is posting all the info.

as we all said the mcanns have laid their own bed in this IMO they were so stupid to sue GA i knew that he would try and get the truth out

Well, that's a short lunch break.I thought the Portuguese were into long boozy lunches according to the McCanns...

bootsy wrote:Court ajourned for lunch back at 3,check list make beds,wash up put hoover round,prepare dinner?and all before 3 o'clock.

I had forgotten to feed next doors cat while they are away!

Headline I've just seen on Sky. Madeleine dies in holiday apartment. Appararantly the police signed a statement saying this. All those lies and fabrications. What a lot of folk the McCanns can add to their list to sue. The fund will get a good boost.

AnnaEsse wrote:Adjourned for lunch! Back at 3pm.

´

Thank God, I'm getting chest pains, this case will finish me off!

8:40 : Good morning, i’m outside the palacio da justica in lisbon where the mcann libel trial will take place.

9:03 : Camera crews and photographers are gathering outside the court.

9:05 : The police have put barriers up outside the court entrance - they're obviously expecting large crowds.

9:52 : The McCanns have arrived at court. Word so far is that Goncalo Amaral is still yet to get here

10:20 : We're in court awaiting the arrival of the judge and legal teams. The McCanns are sitting in the front row at the centre.

10:23 : We're sitting two rows behind the McCanns. The benches at the back of the courtroom are full of journalists from the UK and Portugal.

10:25 : The legal teams have arrived. Goncalo Amaral is sitting on one of the benches at the side of the court, around 15ft away from the McCanns.

10:28 : On the wall above the judge's chair is a large 3D frieze depicting the judgement of Solomon - complete with baby being held up by swordsman.

10:36 : A clerk carrying a large bundle of files has just come in, but we're still waiting for the judge.

10:39 : The judge has arrived - a young woman! Proceedings should now be able to get under way.

10:41 : One of the policemen set to give evidence will do so by video link tomorrow, we are told.

10:46 : Mr Amaral's lawyer addresses the court, speaking very slowly and deliberately.

10:47 : He is declaring the 'principle of contradiction' - the legal basis for Mr Amaral's argument to be made

10:47 : Mr Amaral's lawyer has said that the McCanns should take the stand in order to answer questions

10:51 : The McCanns' lawyer replies that the couple are prepared to give evidence but only after Mr Amaral has done so.

10:52 : The McCanns are having proceedings translated by interpreters seated either side of them.

11:00 : A new witness, Luis Frois, is being called by the McCanns' legal team on a date to be scheduled on the 14th

11:01 : The mention of 'a date to be scheduled on the 14th' indicates proceedings are set to last longer than the three days set for them.

11:07 : Mr Amaral's lawyers want a CD containing police case files to be submitted as evidence because it would corroborate the claims in his book.

11:11 : The McCanns' lawyer is arguing against allowing the police CD to be submitted to the court.

11:20 : The first witness is being called by videoconference.

11:23 : It is the attorney who was in charge of the original inqury into Madeleine's disappearance, Jose Magalhaes e Menezes

11:25 : His testimony is marred by a high-pitched whine of feedback from the microphone - and the fact the screen can't be seen by the public

11:26 : The McCanns can't see the person giving evidence. Mr Amaral can, but doesn't seem to be looking at him.

11:26 : Mr Amaral's lawyer is cross-examining the witness.

11:37 : Mr Menezes is saying that English police sniffer dogs were brought to Portugal to help in the search for Madeleine.

11:38 : He says that the decision to make the McCanns 'arguidos' - suspects - was taken by the police and then confirmed by the public attorney.

11:39 : The decision to designate Kate and Gerry as 'arguidos' was taken after the sniffer dogs carried out their searches.

11:40 : There were several possible charges that could have been brought against the McCanns: kidnapping and selling a child were among them. s.

11:48 : The witness was asked what the probability was of Madeleine still being alive. He replied that he thought it was 50/50.

11:55 : Mr Menezes said that a claim made by the McCanns on the first day after Madeleine's disappearance was not true

11:57 : He claimed that although the parents had been checking on Madeleine, it was not as often as every 30 minutes

11:56 : The witness said that Kate and Gerry's report that they had been checking on their daughter every half an hour was inaccurate

12:01 : Police intercepted text messages sent by the McCanns because they were suspicious of the parents' role in Madeleine's disappearance.

12:02 : The text messages sent by Kate and Gerry were never admitted as evidence gathered as part of the investigation.

12:08 : Mr Menezes said he has not read the book written by Mr Amaral that triggered this case, Maddie: The Truth Of The Lie.

12:18 : A report signed by Chief Inspector Tavares De Almeida said that Madeleine died in the flat in Praia da Luz, the witness adds.

12:19 : Now it's the turn of the McCanns' legal team to cross-question the witness.

12:24 : The McCanns' lawyer makes the point that 'evidence' usually sightings - has suggested Madeleine is still alive

12:25 : He says that the McCanns are not responsible for generating any of this 'evidence' that their daughter is not dead.

12:26 : Another of the McCanns' lawyers moves to quiz the witness - literally. She gets out of her seat and walks right up to the video screen

12:33 : She says that the McCanns were always totally prepared to come back to Portugal to take part in a reconstruction of the disappearance

12:34 : The McCanns' lawyer asks the witness whether he understands the title of Mr Amaral's book to imply some sort of dishonesty by the McCanns.

12:38 : Who suggested the checking of the McCanns' text messages, Mr Menezes is asked. The police, he replies.

12:39 : The text messages were never considered as part of the investigation because the judge did not allow it, the court hears

12:45 : The senior lawyer for the McCanns has approached them on the front bench of the public gallery for a quick huddled conversation.

12:48 : Tavares de Almeida, chief inspector of police at the time of Madeleine's disapperance, has taken the stand to give evidence.

12:48 : He was involved in the case from the beginning, but taken off it in September 2007.

12:51 : Mr de Almeida tells the court that he is still working as member of the Portuguese police.

12:52 : He tells the court that British police took an active part in the investigation.

12:53 : He said the Portuguese detectives found the co-operation given by their British counterparts useful.

12:54 : The British police told the Portuguese officers what the capabilities of the sniffer dogs being used in the investigation were.

12:56 : One of the dogs used to search the apartment in Praia da Luz identified blood and another identified the smell of a human body.

12:58 : The dogs detected the traces inside the dining room of the holiday flat and in the car the McCanns were using.

1:02 : The animals also found a scent on a piece of cloth in a flat rented by the McCanns after they left the apartment where Madeleine vanished.

1:11 : A report by the British police stated that one of the sniffer dogs was in a nervous, excitable state, and wanted to get into the room.

1:34 : British police would have found it very difficult to charge the mccanns.

1:35 : De almeida: we were controlled by the british police.

1:36 : De almeida: british police kept information about the mcanns to themselves.

1:39 Forensic lab technicians from birmingham came to portugal so it is strange concerns were raised about contamination.

1:53 : De almeida: british authorities other than police hindered investigation by withholding information.

1:54 : De almeida: when we asked uk for info on mccanns we got a single side of a4.

2:05 : The mcanns' lawyer is getting quite worked up in her cross examination of de almeida.

2:09 : The mcanns' lawyer is rebuked for saying de almeida was accused of torturing suspects - he was never charged.

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here you go a concise version of eveything said so far
12:24 : The McCanns' lawyer makes the point that 'evidence' usually sightings - has suggested Madeleine is still alive << however not one of those sighting was that of Madeleine so that doesn't prove anything there is no evidence at all of her being alive but evidence has been proven to show that she is dead

fred wrote:

AnnaEsse wrote:Adjourned for lunch! Back at 3pm.

´

Thank God, I'm getting chest pains, this case will finish me off!

fred it is good ina way all this stuff coming out now all of us have discussed it for almost3 years and we have been bullied and harrased for it forums etc have been hacked because of it and now people will see what we have been talking about is real and is not liabel and hearsay if you know what i mean i feel in some small way we have helped little maddie despite what the pros and others think of us...

Thanks hobnob