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Witness Statement
Fiona Elaine Payne
Date: 2007.05.04
Time: 19H20
She comes to the process as a witness, and as part of the group
that travelled to Portugal with the parents of Madeleine. She is
married to David, who also travelled to Portugal.
She has known the girl's parents, Gerard (sic) and Kate, for
about seven years. She got to know them through Kate when they
worked together. It was also at this time that she got to know
her [Kate's] husband in social settings.
She knows that the couple has three children, twins who are two
years of age and Madeleine, who was almost four years old.
The witness has two children, of the female sex, who are two and
one years old respectively. The idea of travelling to Portugal
came from her husband David who had already been to Portugal
about 11 years ago, before she got to know him.
She arrived in Portugal on the 28th April, at around 12H00,
leaving from Leicestershire, and arriving at Faro and then on to
Praia da Luz. From Faro, she arrived at the Ocean Club via mini
bus taken from the airport. After check-in she was lodged in
apartment G5H with her family (husband, mother and two
daughters).
As regards the next days, she says that in the morning, after
breakfast, which the family would eat in the club bar around
08H15/08H30 they would then put their children in the club
creche, in different areas. During this time, the witness and
her husband would go swimming and practice other sports on the
beach, which was around 8 minutes distance on foot. Around
12H30/13H00 they would go to get the children from the crêche
and would have lunch in the apartment, at times with other
children. Immediately afterwards her children would take a nap,
whilst the witness and her husband stayed in the apartment.
Around 15H30/16H00 the children would wake up from their nap and
all of them would head towards the pool zone or the tennis court
where they would stay until around 18H00/19H00. They would then
return to the apartment, would bathe the children, put them to
sleep and would go and meet with the rest of the group, to have
dinner. All the adults would meet in the Tapas restaurant
located close to the club.
During dinner, as they were in a possession of a 'baby monitor',
they did not go to the apartment to check on their children and
would only do so if they heard any strange noises or crying.
Yesterday they slightly altered their
routine, they went to the beach with the children and her mother
Dianne. They arrived there around 15H45 and left at 18H15, and
headed towards the tennis court until about 19H00. Immediately
afterwards, the witness headed towards the apartment with her
children, and her mother. Ten minutes later her husband David
appeared. In the apartment her mother, helped by her husband
David, bathed the children whilst the witness went jogging on
the beach until around 20H00. Afterwards, she returned to the
apartment and got ready. She left around 20H45, accompanied by
David and her mother, in order to meet the rest of the group in
the Tapas restaurant.
During dinner, amongst other friends present was the McCann
couple - Madeleine's parents.
When questioned she says that she did not go to the club,
neither did her husband, to check on the children as she
possessed a baby monitor, as previously mentioned. However, she
states that Gerald and Kate went with regularity, as did the
other couples to ensure that their children were well. On one of
these occasions, upon returning, Kate, very scared and nervous,
in a panic, told them in the restaurant that Madeleine had gone
missing, screaming and frightened.
Immediately, they organised search groups, either in the
apartment thinking that she could be hidden, or outside, which
resulted in nothing, even with the help of the employees.
Due to Kate's highly anxious state, she decided to stay with
her, giving her all support she needed.
She was never in Madeleine's family apartment.
She knew Madeleine well and describes her as very intelligent
and she would not go with stranger without screaming or
protesting unless she was very tired or sleeping.
As regards the episode
with Jane - she [Jane] only told her that she had seen an
individual with a child in his arms,
not knowing if
it was Madeleine
During this holiday period she never noticed anything strange or
relevant to the facts in question.
She has no other elements to offer the investigation.
No more was said.
Reads, ratifies, signs. |
