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Michelle
Thompson (Kate's friend)
2008.05.01 |
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10 to 12 Witness statement
of Michelle Thomson (Kate's
friend) 2008.05.01 |
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04-CARTAS
ROGATORIAS UK (FILE 4) pages 10 to 12 |
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TRANSLATION BY INES |
Leicestershire Police Squad
Witness Testimony
CJ Act 1967, s.9; MC Act 1980,
ss.5?(3) e 5B; Criminal Process
2005, Decision 27.1
Testimony of: Michelle Thompson
Age if less than 18:
Occupation: University Professor
This statement (constituting two
pages and signed by me) is the truth
and in accord with my understanding.
I offer this evidence with the
knowledge that, if proven to the
contrary, I may be subject to
litigation of having voluntarily
witnessed something which is false
or does not correspond to the truth.
Date: 01 May of 2008
Signature:
________________________________________
I am the above referenced person and
live at the address previously given
to the Leicestershire police. I was
questioned related to my
relationship with the McCanns and
with the Healy family and also about
my visit to Portugal during the
summer of 2007.
I have known Kate since the first
day of nursery school 36 years ago,
when we lived in Anfield, in
Liverpool. We maintained our
friendship through adulthood. Kate
met Gerry in University around 13 or
14 years ago and married 10 years
ago. They have thee children,
Madeleine, 5 years old, and the
twins, Sean and Amelie, 3 years of
age. My companion and I, Jon Corner,
were Amelie's god-parents. Kate is
the god-mother of my daughter
Charlotte.
Before Madeleine's the disappearance
last year, Jon and I saw Kate, Gerry
and the family about five times per
year. We would go to Leicester or
they would come to Liverpool. This
would normally happen around
holidays, like birthdays, Christmas,
etc.
On the morning of the 4th of May,
2007, Kate called our land line but
we did not hear it as we were asleep
and did not put the phone on the
bed. She left a message and asked us
to call her once we heard the
message. Kate must have tried Jon?s
mobile once as we stirred when it
rang at about 03h20. Jon spoke
briefly with Kate and then called
her around 03h30. I knew that Kate
and Gerry were on holidays in
Portugal. Kate was very anguished
and on the telephone and told me
that she had checked on the children
every half-hour. It was around
22h00, and when she went to check on
the children she found that someone
had entered the apartment and taken
Madeleine from where she slept; that
Madeleine had been abducted. The
person must have entered, passed by
the twins and taken her.
Kate continued that when she entered
the apartment via the patio doors, a
breeze hit her in the face as if a
door or window was open. When she
entered the children's room, the
window was open, the blind had been
forced and Madeleine had
disappeared. Kate urged me to call
all the close family and to ask them
to pray for Madeleine. My family is
catholic and Kate knew this. Even
though I am catholic, I have to
admit that Kate has more faith than
I. I did not speak to Gerry that
night.
During the next 24 hours, we
maintained contact through text
messages but I spoke to her around
04H30 on the next day, Saturday, the
5th of May of 2007. Kate was still
frustrated and anguished and felt
that nobody was doing anything to
help find Madeleine. She told me
that the police had left in the
morning and returned around 09H30
and that now only a few agents with
sniffer dogs were in the locale.
This was all the activity that I
know of. I asked her if I could help
her in Portugal and she responded in
the affirmative. For this reason,
with a common friend, Nick Gill,
(whom Kate also contacted) and I
planned to fly to Faro the next day.
We left from Liverpool directly to
Faro on Sunday morning.
We were greeted at the airport by
representatives of Mark Warner who
took us to the Ocean Club resort. We
met Gerry and Kate half-way through
this day. Kate looked terrible,
exhausted and wasted. She lamented
that Madeleine would be found in a
ditch and that the next time she
would see her would be in the
mortuary; that a paedophile had
taken her.
Sometime later, Gerry and Kate went
to get the twins from the creche,
trying to give them the most normal
routine. During our stay, we helped
them were we could in maintaining
some normality for the twins. At the
end of this week, Kate and Gerry
spoke with a psychologist called
Alan, contracted by Mark Warner.
After this, both appeared calmer and
more capable of analyzing the
situation.
On Monday, Gerry became more
confused regarding what to do and
how to do it. Monday morning, Fiona
Payne knocked on our door and told
us of a search, organised by some
residents and tourists. We were
transported with about 10 other
people in a mini bus. We spent the
morning searching the terrain and
fields of difficult access near the
resort. I cannot recite precisely
the locale.
There was no police involvement in
this search. Around 12h00 I received
a telephone from Kate asking if
Nicky and I could take care of the
twins while they attended a session
with the media asking for help and
had just returned to the resort.
Between us both, we watched the
twins that afternoon. That night, a
group of local women and children,
accompanied by the church's priest
arrived at the apartment and prayed
the rosary. It was at this time that
Kate was given access to the church
and Gerry was loaned a lap-top with
access to the internet.
The next day, Tuesday, I left the
resort and returned home as I have
small children. Nicky stayed a few
extra days. Since my return, we have
maintained daily contact via text
messages. At times, I call, but
always when I answer the telephone
she appeared profoundly anguished.
During my stay, Gerry was truly
disturbed but handled the situation
better than Kate, especially after
the conversation with Alan, the
psychologist. This was how he dealt
with the situation.
Kate and Gerry never put their
children at risk and they adored
Madeleine and the twins. Both love
their children and Madeleine
represented everything to Kate and
in my opinion, they are both
excellent parents and totally
devoted to their children.
This testimony was made by me and is
truthful in accordance with my
understanding.
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