Statements from Former Apt 5A Occupants

Cartas Rogatorias Vol V

Pages 42 – 43


LEICESTERSHIRE POLICE SQUAD

WITNESS TESTIMONY OF CARLO FRANCISO D'AMBROSIO

Occupation: Hair Dresser

This statement, consisting of three pages, each signed by me, is true to the best of my knowledge and belief and I make it knowing that, if it is tendered in evidence, I shall be liable to prosecution if I have willfully states in it anything I know to be false or do not believe to be true.

Date: 29 April 2008
Signature:

I am the above referenced person and live at the address previously given to this police.

On the 14th of April of 2007, in the company of my partner, June HUGHES, we travelled from Glasgow airport to Portugal for a one week holiday.

We effected the reservation with the Thomas Cook travel agency; a week of holidays in the Ocean Club, Praia da Luz.
Even though we did not have problems during out holidays, I felt a bit vulnerable with the possibility of a break-in given the location of the apartment. For this reason, we would keep the blinds closed every time we left the apartment.

On our first night I noticed that the principal room (in front of the pool and the Tapas bar) was completely exposed and communicated this problem to the reception. (Page 1) To our satisfaction the blinds were fixed the next day.

I was not aware of any locking system for the blinds that covered the front, back and side windows. It did not appear possible to use a lock and would close on its own as a result of its weight. In order to open it, you needed to use the interior belt system.
I verified that all the blinds worked correctly.

We would always enter and leave the apartment through the main door with gave way to the parking area and the street. We did not use the pool-side doors as it was not possible to close them from the outside. It was get very dark outside our door and that left us a bit scared. The darkness was due to a faulty/wasted bulb.

It was only myself and June in the apartment and for this reason we did not have any contact with the Creche or child services. We only breakfasted in the apartment and would dine always outside the resort. We never used any restaurants in the Ocean Club.

In response to the question asked of me by the Portuguese Police I can affirm that nobody got hurt or died in the apartment during our stay.

We were not victims of any break-in (page 2). According to what I know, there was no presence of strangers, inside or outside the apartment. The only people in the immediate areas of the apartment were the gardeners, whom I saw three times during the week and the cleaning woman who would come every day.

We noticed that the cleaning personnel entered the apartment after one knock and did not give us time to respond. This was a bit bothersome and for this reason we would lock the door, and would leave the key in the inside lock.

After this precaution, the next day, the same thing happened and the cleaning woman entered even though the door was locked with the key in the lock.

We never found out how it was possible for a cleaning woman to enter after we had tried to prevent it.

I can tell you that the living room sofa (to the right when on entered via the patio door) was positioned about 60 cm away from the wall.

I give the police a CD with photographs taken in the space and the resort during our stay between the 14th of April and the 21st of April of 2007. I have produced this marked as C.F.D.1.

This statement was elaborated by my and in truthful in accordance with my understanding.

Cartas Rogatorias Vol V

Pages 40-41

LEICESTERSHIRE POLICE SQUAD

WITNESS TESTIMONY OF JUNE HUGHES

Occupation: Surgical Assistant

This statement, consisting of three pages, each signed by me, is true to the best of my knowledge and belief and I make it knowing that, if it is tendered in evidence, I shall be liable to prosecution if I have willfully states in it anything I know to be false or do not believe to be true.

Date: 29 April 2008
Signature:

I am the above referenced person and live at the address previously given to this police.

On the 14th of April of 2007 my partner Carlo D'AMROSIO and I were on holiday in Praia da Luz, Portugal. We have booked a reservation with Thomas Cook and were to stay in the Mark Warner Ocean Club resort.

Carlo and I travelled to the Glasgow airport directly to Faro.
When we arrived at the resort, we were given apartment 5A. There were still cleaning personnel in there when we arrived. They allowed us to enter. We checked and realized that we had not been given a key tothe apartment and Carlo went to the reception to collect one.

I found the apartment very good. We arrived on Saturday and this night noticed that the blinds on the patio side door which gave way to the pool zone did not close. It appeared that someone had lifted them too much and the mechanism did not dislodge in order to shut them (page1). We reported this abnormality tothe reception that same night. We reported this immediately because we found that the apartment could be at risk if it was not possible to close the door blinds. The apartment was also vulnerable for the fact that the entryway light (side of the street) was hanging and did not function. This made the entryway very dark. It was off from the street with a small parking zone between the street and the apartment.

Even though we communicated this issue of the blind, we did not expect them to rapidly address the issue. We were surprised when on Sunday morning a functionary came to fix the blind. The patio door blind was on the outside of the patio door. We used the principal entrance (next tothe street) and would lock the patio door from the interior.

During our stay I do not remember having cut or hurt myself. It is possible that Carlo cut himself whilst shaving but I don't remember this.

Nothing was taken from our apartment and I did not notice anything suspect during our stay. I noticed that the gardeners would work on the garden close tothe apartment 'pool-side 'three mornings (page 2) during our stay. The cleaning personnel would come very day.

I remember that the key to the apartment was a bit unusual. It was round and with cut segments. We noticed that the cleaning personnel knocked on the door once and would then enter in the apartment. In this sequence, we left the door always closed with the key in the lock. The next morning, the cleaning woman knocked on the door and entered normally independent of the door being locked with the key inthe interior of the lock.

As far as I recall, the living woman sofa (to the right of the entry across the patio door) was slightly removed from the wall, around 60 cm.

We were not accompanied by children to Praia da Luz but noticed that the children seemed to have free access to the restaurant and were always very welcome. We would normally eat in different restaurants when we holidayed but would breakfast inthe apartment and if I am not mistaken, lunched in our apartment.

We slept in the principal room where the blind was initially broken. We never took any food in the Tapas Bar. I do not know Gerry or Kate McCann and only heard of them after their daughter went missing. We returned on the 21st of April of 2007.

This statement is made by me and is truthful in accordance with my understanding.

Cartas Rogatorias Vol V

Pages 33-35


Statement of Saleigh Gordon.

Occupation: Air Hostess
4 pages
Date: 24th April de 2008
Signature_______________________________



I am married to Paul Gordon, we have two children, our son xxxx who is three years old and our who is two.
I planned our holiday last year and from a series of recommendations from family members, I looked at Mark Warner resorts. I found that the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz met with our requirements. Good price, good facilities for the children, I initially made a reservation for apartment T1 which was changed by Mark Warner to apartment T2 before we travelled.

We left Gatwick for Faro on Saturday 21st April 2007 and when we landed we were received by Mark Warner staff and driven to Praia da Luz. We were handed the keys during the journey and given the location of the apartment which was 5 A. The holiday was perfect, the people were kind and friendly. It was a very pleasant break, the area was pretty and relaxing and I would describe it as a sleepy place.

During our stay Paul cut his face whilst shaving and the cut bled for some time. Neither the children nor I injured ourselves and as far as I know nobody died in the apartment. We never noticed that any of our personal objects disappeared or were lost. Nothing strange or worrying to note, just on one occasion I heard Paul speaking to an individual on the patio that looked over the complex’s swimming pool. I can’t say who he was talking to or what they were talking about. I was inside the apartment washing some of the children’s clothes in the kitchen that faced out onto the road. I did not see anyone pass in front of the window or knock on the door.

I remember Paul entering the apartment and asking where the money was, I asked him why and he said something about a collection for charity. I did not go out to see or speak with the man. It was only after the disappearance of Madeleine and when the news broke that we thought we should contact the police, not because we thought there was anything suspicious about this but simply because we thought the police should be informed.


I would like to add that this was the only time that we saw someone asking for money.

The doors, windows and shutters of the apartment were all in good condition. We noticed that it was only possible to close the patio door from the inside of the apartment, not from the outside. The bedroom shutters made a lot of noise and I find it difficult to understand that opening them would go un-noticed. The bedroom overlooked the parking area and was also overlooked by other apartments from which I think that if anyone had opened the shutters from outside, somebody would have noticed. The front door was easy to open from the inside unless it had been locked. We always used the wooden door overlooking the parking area to enter and exit the apartment.

With regard to the sofas, there were two on the right where you entered and another opposite the dining table – there was also a coffee table between the sofas. The sofa on the right when you entered by the patio door was situated against the wall and it does not seem possible to me that anyone could have passed behind the sofa.

The children slept in the bedroom overlooking the parking area and Paul and I slept in the bedroom with the patio overlooking the pool.

We would have breakfast in the Millenium restaurant, lunch in the apartment so that the children could have a siesta. We also dined in the Millenium except for two occasions when we dined at the Tapas Bar. I had the impression that dining at the Tapas was restricted to once during one’s stay, and because of this it surprised me to hear that the McCann group used to dine there every day.

The children would use the club facilities, I think they were called “Ama 1 and 2”.
They would spend the morning or afternoon, I don’t remember them having spent a whole day there. We were always with them when they were not in the children’s club. It was usual to go to the Tapas bar at lunchtime and I know that of 6 occasions they went five times. On one occasion we thought of using the night club and we took the children there with their pyjamas on. When we got there we saw that the club was not for us and we did not leave the children there. We always took the children with us when we went for dinner. We never left them alone.

I remember that at the welcome ceremony we were informed about the “babysitter” services at 15 Euros per hour, but they told us that that the service would have to be booked well in advance. I remember that when we went for dinner there were couple without children and imagined that these services were often requested, but we never used them.

I cannot speak badly of our holiday and this only changed after the disappearance of Madeleine.

I know that Paul received text messages from Kate McCann as well as voice messages, some of them were heartbreaking. We have tried to collaborate with the police as much as possible. We have been visited by the press at home and have had to face cameras and reporters, asking them to leave us alone.

Cartas Rogatorias Vol V

Pages 44 - 46

Witness statement

FAWKES; Claire Louise

Occupation: Teacher

Date: 22 nd April 2008
Signature _________________________________________

I am the person referred to at the address above where I live with my husband S**** and daughter R*** aged 3 ½.

At Easter my family had two weeks holiday. I do not remember the exact date we travelled but I know it was a Saturday after Easter. We travelled to the OC, P da L in the Algarve in Portugal.

We had never stayed at a MW resort before but the facilities in relation to child care and sporting activities were attractive. We travelled from Gatwick to Faro and were transferred to the resort by MW reps. The holidays were booked as a complete package through MW.

Upon arrival we were allocated an apartment identified as G5 A or something similar. It was the corner apartment on the ground floor of a block of two or three storeys. Our apartment had two bedrooms and a patio with a door that opened onto the terrace opposite the swimming pool, restaurant and OC children’s playing area. The other entrance led onto the parking area.

During the holidays we would occasionally place R*** in the crèche when we were doing other activities. On the Wednesday or Thursday of the second week of our holiday I received a phone call from a MW employee saying that R*** had fallen in the crèche and had cut her chin. When I arrived at the club she had almost stopped bleeding, but even so and through precaution we took her to a doctor in P da L, who put in some stitches. I do not remember if she bled again after this or whether she did in the apartment, but it is a possibility. However nobody else injured themselves or died during the holiday.

I was not robbed during the holiday and none of our possessions disappeared. I never detected the presence of anyone strange near the apartment. R*** slept in the bedroom whose window looked over the parking area. It had a window which I think we never opened and a metal shutter that covered the entire window on the outside, but which was controlled from the inside of the bedroom either electronically or by a belt that was pulled. It was nearly always closed, but on occasions we would open it to have more light. As far as I can remember the shutter worked perfectly well. We never had a bad experience with the windows or doors.

In order to enter and leave the apartment we would always use the front door that led onto the parking area given that the patio door could only be locked from the inside.

When you entered into the living room from the patio, there was a coffee table opposite with a sofa parallel to the kitchen. I do not remember whether the sofa was pushed against the wall. I think there was sufficient space to pass behind the sofa and the dining table.

I made a sketch which I showed as proof to CLF and which I delivered to DC Wright. We did not move any of the furniture in the apartment.

As I have already said we travelled to Portugal with our daughter R*** who slept in the back bedroom, opposite the pool area. I used to refer to her bedroom as the lilac room because the bedclothes and curtains were lilac.

We would generally walk to the MW restaurant at a distance of 5 or 10 minutes to have breakfast. We would normally have lunch in the apartment.

During the first week of the holidays we would return to the same restaurant for dinner. I can’t remember what the restaurant was called. During the second week we would sometimes dine at the Tapas. My husband and I would have dinner out each night. While we were out we would hand Ruth over to the care of MW babysitters. The normal procedure was to dress her in pyjamas at about 19.00 and at 19.30 take her to the place near to the reception. Ruth would stay in the care of MW staff until they (children) were ready to sleep. If they were tired, there were beds available for the children to sleep in. We would collect R*** on out return to the apartment at about 21.30 – 22.00. This service was included in the holiday package and was available until 23.00.

We never left R*** on her own. When she was not with us she was in the organised care of someone who looked after the children.

On the Friday before our return home, my husband had gone to the beach leaving R*** and I in the apartment. The keys were also in the apartment but I couldn’t find them, so I felt unable to take R*** to the crèche.

I was worried and went to the terrace to see if I could spot S****. It was at this moment that I saw three road sweepers in the immediate area. They all appeared to be staring in my direction and I felt they were observing me. I had wondered whether to leave the apartment open whilst I took R*** to the crèche but from the moment that I felt observed, this idea lost its appeal. They were all men and wearing overalls that reminded me of surgical outfits. I do not remember anymore about them.

I handed a CD to DC 4064 HOLLIDAY on 15h45 of 22nd April 2008 containing some pictures of our holidays at the MW resort. It was referenced as CLF2.

Cartas Rogatorias Vol V

Pages 47 – 48

Leicestershire Police Force

Witness Statement

Simon Andrew Fawkes

Occupation: Computer technician

Date: 22nd April 2008
Signature ___________________________________________


I am married to Claire FAWKES and we have a daughter called R*** aged 3 ½. Last year I planned and reserved a holiday with MW in Portugal. I knew that they have good services and meet all the needs that we wanted for our family holiday. I made a two week booking, half board in the P da L resort in the Algarve.

We travelled from Gatwick on Saturday 31st March 2007 directly to Faro and were transported by minibus to the resort. We returned home on Saturday 14th April 2007.

The holiday was quite pleasant in spite of the fact that R*** suffered a cut to the chin at the crèche, the holidays passed peacefully.

Apart from R**** having fallen whilst under the care of MW nothing was stolen or missing from the apartment, nobody died in the apartment during our stay.
.
While we stayed in the apartment we were never victims of robbery or loss of our personal possessions, neither did we lose any object whilst we were in Portugal.

In my opinion the resort is a safe place and I never felt the presence of anyone strange or notice that anyone was watching our apartment.

With regard to the doors and windows I considered them to be safe, although I had some problem in closing the shutters in the bedroom where Claire and I slept – this was the bedroom facing the patio and the pool area. I remember that the shutter in R**** bedroom worked well and we would close it during the day to make sure she slept better.

At no time during our stay did I feel that the windows and doors had been forced or that there could have been any trespass on the property.

We would normally use the wooden door that led to the parking area in order to access the apartment, occasionally we would use the patio door – if Claire or I remained in the apartment. If we all left we would lock the patio door and use the wooden door.

As far as I can remember, there were two sofas in the living room area. One smaller sofa which was on the right when you entered by the patio door – the sofa was under the window, slightly at a distance from the wall – in order to have access to the curtains I think. The large sofa was directly opposite us when we entered by the patio door. I made a small sketch of the living room which was delivered as proof ref SAJF(1) to DC 4064 HOLLIDAY at 18h30 22 April 2008.

R*** was on holiday with us and during our stay she slept in the bedroom with two beds facing the parking area. I remember that there was a window which was totally covered by a rolling shutter.

We would have breakfast and dinner in the local restaurant, although sometimes we dined at the Tapas. We would have lunch in the apartment – generally at the dining table.

R*** was with us or at the crèche – sometimes in the mornings, at times during the afternoon.

She would also go to the night crèche so that she could go to sleep at a reasonable time. We would go out for dinner and upon our return to the apartment we would pick her up. Normally she was never at the crèche for more than a few hours.

We were satisfied with the care that R*** received in the crèche and she seemed to like being there.

I remember that the apartment number was 5 A.

This statement was made by me and is in accordance with my knowledge.

CARTAS ROGATORIAS (FILE 5)

Pages 36 to 38—Witness statement of Paul Anthony Gordon

Date 2008.04.24

Summarised translation:


Leicestershire Police Force
Witness Account
Statement by Paul Anthony Gordon
Occupation: Accountant

Date : 24th April 2008

I am married to Saleigh and we have two children, C...... aged three and J..... aged two.

We stayed in the same apartment that the McCanns would later stay in, apartment 5ª of the Ocean Club. We travelled to Faro on 21st April 2007.

On Wednesday the children were asleep in the apartment and Sal was reading inside. I was in the garden when I heard a male voice say “Ola”. I got up and went towards the man who asked me whether I was interested in making a donation to an orphanage. I talked to him and notice he had an ID label and what seemed to be a book of receipts. I thought he was either genuine or that it was a professional scam. I gave him 10 Euros and I think he gave me a receipt. At no time was he aggressive or persistent. I think he was genuine and it seemed to be a good cause.

There were no other incidents whilst we were in Portugal except that I cut myself whilst shaving in the bathroom. The cut bled for about 45 minutes. As far as I know, nobody else cut themselves in the apartment.

We felt safe in the apartment and were not robbed, neither did anything disappear. The doors, windows and shutters were in perfect working order. There was never any sign that that the doors, windows or shutters had been tampered with, but neither was there any need to check. The front door had a double lock that was difficult to lock, but we managed. The patio door could not be locked from the outside, only from the inside of the apartment and that is why we chose to use the front door when we left the apartment.

We used to open the shutters during the day and would close them again at night. The shutters made a lot of noise when we closed them. They have an internal cord as mechanism for opening and closing them.


We would generally have breakfast in the Millenium restaurant, we only dined at the Tapas Bar on two occasions. I remember there was a limit to how many times we could eat at the Tapas Bar.

I would like to add that since January of this year I have received numerous phone calls, messages and visits from the press with relation to the man collecting donations, which led to contact with other persons such as Brian Kennedy, Kate and Gerry McCann. I feel this to be constricting and it is difficult for me to make a more certain decision.

I have always tried to collaborate with the police in every possible form, telephoning them at the first opportunity when the news broke about Madeleine’s disappearance. There have been times when I have felt like a pawn in a chess game.