McGuckin In McCann Peril: Foreign Crimes In Foreign Climes
BRITONS planning trips to the new Portugal should go equipped with a loud hailer, a private detective and nothing too shiny. If on a driving holiday, ensure the boot can be opened from within.
Listen to the tale told by Eamon and Antionette McGuckin, who found their three children in the care of the Portuguese – and what irony there, readers – after they were attacked by a “Rohypnol gang”.
One would imagine that given the paralysing powers of the so-called date rape drug, the Rohypnol Gang are not much cop at ganging, preferring to lie down and wait their victim to trip over them. It would help if the victims were drunk.
But this gang is armed with the drug and slipping it into the “small jug” of sangria the McGuckins were quaffing, sipping, even. (Although the Mirror’s Sue Carroll sees the “dog tired, hot and thirsty” couple taking beer – mucky foreign beer.)
Says a friend of the family, namely a Dr Cyril Harkin: “Neither of them are big drinkers. They have tried to understand what happened and have linked the sangria with the sudden decline in their health. They believe they were drugged by someone trying to rob them.”
The GP puts the tin lid on the matter by saying: “The Portuguese authorities are paranoid after the Madeleine McCann case.”
We are not anti-foreigner, and are quite confident that if the entire peoples of continental Europe were placed in a cell we could find a dozen for a game of cricket and a scorer, but can only conclude that the vast mojortity Portuguese are the scum of the Earth and in need of hanging…
Posted: 7th, May 2008 | In: Madeleine McCann, Tabloids Comments (448) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments
- June on Poole Replaces Christmas With A Recyled Jesus And Fake Tree
- miles on Susan Boyle Weeps As The Press Set About Destroying Her
- Anorak on Jamie Cullum Sings The Pursuit, In Pictures
- Desperate Dan on Jamie Cullum Sings The Pursuit, In Pictures
- June on Wikileaks Publishes 500,000 9/11 FBI And NYPD Pager Messages, Conspiracy Theorists Read On
May 7th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Discharging yourself from hospital whilst on holiday - well that is somthing I did. I had a bout of heat stroke and dehydration, I fainted - was taken to hospital and every test under the sun was performed on me - I was kept there for 7 hours - tests which included a brain scan!! Then I was told that they wanted me to stay in overnight for observation - all this after they had established that I was a tourist with a pretty comprehensive insurance. I was in the hospital from 11am (by 12 I was perfectly OK, but the tests were performed and the opinion of the hospital they were imperative) by 6pm the doctor came with the test results, absolutely nothing wrong - BUT an overnight stay was still suggeted - $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$- I discharged myself and the bill paid for by the insurance was $19.000 (yes ninteen thousand $$’s) an overnight would have added another $2,000 - big money - sick, insured tourists
May 7th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Irish girl spain
Thinking about you, be strong
May 7th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
111
Marie Nicholas Says:
May 7th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Here, when an accident, or emergency happens in a public place, we call “Police Secours”, who take you to a hospital, and have you admitted to the emergencies.
The hotel manager would be at risk with his insurance if he called a private ambulance, and something bad happened to those people. Same as the hotel staff can’t keep the children themselves while their parents are being taken care of. If something happened to the children while they are looking after them, they would find themselves with big responsibilities.
So, the authorities had to be involved.
—————————————
Quite so; the nonsense about leaving them in the hotel creche overnight is just that, nonsense.
And since they are now claiming that someone drugged them the authorities are involved even more…
May 7th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
108
Ferdinand Says:
May 7th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
103 Miss Match Says:
” Had they been unwittingly drugged with an unknown susbstance, why would they discharge themselves from hospital against medical advice? (Self discharge from hospital is always against medical advice.) ”
———————————–
If I felt well again, I would have also preferred to return to the children.
—————————-
Oh come on! So, why do a runner from the judge?
May 7th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
109
Matilda Says:
May 7th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
102 Matt
I agree, once the medical results are known, the truth will presumably out.
It does sound to me like a severe dose of food poisoning.
Whatever is said, I think three pints on the first day of a holiday, with your children beside you, after a very long and hot journey, is not a crime - the crime is that this family’s repudation, especially in a small rural town, is destroyed.
best wishes
———————————————
You’ve forgotten the drugged sangria.
Friends of the family, including their former doctor, are claiming that they were drugged in a small jug of sangria.
That is an allegation of a serious crime…
May 7th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
109…Matilda
“”It does sound to me like a severe dose of food poisoning.”"
That’s speculation isn’t it ?
“”Whatever is said, I think three pints on the first day of a holiday, with
your children beside you, after a very long and hot journey, is not a crime.”"
That depends on what was actually imbibed…but the Medics will calculate
that am sure.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Here, when an accident, or emergency happens in a public place, we call “Police Secours”, who take you to a hospital, and have you admitted to the emergencies.
The hotel manager would be at risk with his insurance if he called a private ambulance, and something bad happened to those people. Same as the hotel staff can’t keep the children themselves while their parents are being taken care of. If something happened to the children while they are looking after them, they would find themselves with big responsibilities.
So, the authorities had to be involved.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
I had 6 vodkas last night - felt disgusting - but still managed to look after my mutt without being hospitalised - and it was really hot in Glasgow.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
102 Matt
I agree, once the medical results are known, the truth will presumably out.
It does sound to me like a severe dose of food poisoning.
Whatever is said, I think three pints on the first day of a holiday, with your children beside you, after a very long and hot journey, is not a crime - the crime is that this family’s repudation, especially in a small rural town, is destroyed.
best wishes
May 7th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
103 Miss Match Says:
” Had they been unwittingly drugged with an unknown susbstance, why would they discharge themselves from hospital against medical advice? (Self discharge from hospital is always against medical advice.) ”
If I felt well again, I would have also preferred to return to the children.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
105…brandon flours
Maybe “stupor” is a better description.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
101
Ferdinand Says:
May 7th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
97 chenier Says:
” If someone passes out and cannot be brought round by simple means, as attempted by the hotel staff, then they are potentially in very big trouble.”
Have you forgotten Mrs. Oldfield? You can always resuscitate.
———————————-
Ferdinand - I’m beginning to think that you and the T9 had the same medical training……
May 7th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
matt
no he likes a drink like me, but is always in control
We dont get this coma stuff!
May 7th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Is Ferdinand Mr/Mrs McG ???
May 7th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
98
Ferdinand Says:
May 7th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
95 Miss Match Says:
” What other reasons? ”
Any kind of reasons. For example, if there were traces of drugs, it would even more be a reason for an investigation.
————————-
Ferdinand - if there were drugs found in their system, then, had they been ‘drugged’ by a stranger, there is even more reason why they would want to involve the authorities. After all, they would have been victims of a crime.
Had they been unwittingly drugged with an unknown susbstance, why would they discharge themselves from hospital against medical advice? (Self discharge from hospital is always against medical advice.)
Looks to me like they were running away instead of co-operating with the authorites.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
92…Matilda
There is always speculation….and “friends of family” often quote
misinformation too.
The Medical Assessment, Diagnosis and Treatment should be the key.
Unless the McG’s and/or “friends of family” claim that the Medical Staff
are in on “the conspiracy” too.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
97 chenier Says:
” If someone passes out and cannot be brought round by simple means, as attempted by the hotel staff, then they are potentially in very big trouble.”
Have you forgotten Mrs. Oldfield? You can always resuscitate.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Ferdinand - I believe that the police turned up at the hotel with the ambulance and that is how they became involved. A report of two incapicated parents unable to care for their children would warrant the involvement of the police.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
These people must enjoy alcohol, if going to a bar the day of their arrival. -Did they take their children to the bar for the happy hour with them?- Besides, it takes some sort of habit for a woman to drink 3 glasses of beer one after the other -what size glasses, I wonder -, then sangria on top of it. Sangria is much stronger than it tastes.
As to who leaked the names of the people, they can be found in big letters in the British tabloids. If one wishes to say it is a Portuguese conspiracy, one has to admit that the British press are helping all they can. The heroes of the story are also part of the conspiracy, for drinking too much.
But I think the public shame is scandalous. The tabloids have a monstruous side to them. We didn’t need the names nor the pictures. Shame on the ruthless, honourless, respectless, nasty tabloids.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
95 Miss Match Says:
” What other reasons? ”
Any kind of reasons. For example, if there were traces of drugs, it would even more be a reason for an investigation.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
89
Ferdinand Says:
May 7th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
78 chenier Says:
” As for why you should care, you have been expressing concern about the impact of this on their children… ”
It must have been shocking at least for the 6 year old to see both of his parents disappearing and being taken into care over night. Maybe also for the younger ones. One might think the wee ones didn’t get what happened, but who knows.
It certainly spoiled the childrens holiday.
However, the effect is the same whether the parents were just passing out because of adverse circumstances (tiredness + heat + SOME alcohol), or because of anyone’s culpable behaviour .
————————————————————————-
‘Just passing out’
is not an activity known to medics.
If someone passes out and cannot be brought round by simple means, as attempted by the hotel staff, then they are potentially in very big trouble.
As Miss Match has pointed out.
I appreciate that you would prefer to describe it as if it’s a normal sort of thing, could happen to anyone, but it is not.
It’s a medical emergency, requiring a great deal of expensive expertise, which the McG’s got.
At the expense of other people also needing that expertise for non-self-inflicted damage, who have to join the queue whilst the hospital sorts out the drunks…
May 7th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
93 Miss Match Says:
” If they were found to be suffering from such afflictions, then the minor amount of alcohol in their blood would not be just cause to report them to the police. ”
Has the hospital “reported them” to the police? I think the children had to be taken into care for the obvious reson that both parents were unavailable, and that’s how the authorities became involved.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Ferdinand - Quite the contrary, I should say. I can very well imagine possible reasons other than alcohol, which would also give reason for concern. But that would be unsubstanciated speculation.
———————————–
What other reasons?
May 7th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
81 Miss Match Says:
” At the end of these tests, it should be possible to give a diagnosis as to why a person collapsed and to commence with the appropriate treatment.”
This is very much my stance.
” As the McG’s were due to meet with the judge the following morning, I think we can safely rule out a medical event which was not related to alcohol. ”
Quite the contrary, I should say. I can very well imagine possible reasons other than alcohol, which would also give reason for concern. But that would be unsubstanciated speculation.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Ferdinand says ……However, the effect is the same whether the parents were just passing out because of adverse circumstances (tiredness + heat + SOME alcohol), or because of anyone’s culpable behaviour .
——————————
Ferdinand - when the blood was taken for an alcohol reading, it would give an indication of how much alcohol the McG’s had consumed. If this reading did not tie in with their physical state, then other blood tests would be taken to determine if they were dehydrated due to the heat. Their body temperature would also be taken to see if they were suffering from sunstroke. Sun burn would have been evident. If they were found to be suffering from such afflictions, then the minor amount of alcohol in their blood would not be just cause to report them to the police.
Incidentally, where were their children when they were out at the bar?
May 7th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
I’m curious about the talk about the McG’s being drugged. None of the three Irish national papers have this story at all. What friends of the family are saying is that when the family came back to the hotel the mother, who is not much of ‘a drinker’ at all, immediately told staff that she felt extremely sick. The manager called the medics after she and the hubby collapsed, and told them that he’d take care of the children as they had a chreche in the hotel. The story just got confused once the medics and police arrived. What the papers say is that the McG’s are requesting blood samples taken at the time be analysed to prove that they were not drunk.
It seems to me the rest is pure speculation?
May 7th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
89…Ferdinand
Also possible that they could have become orphans on holiday.
Thank heavens for Medical expertise, huh ?
May 7th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
86…Karen
Ex-Bank Manager…allegedly.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
78 chenier Says:
” As for why you should care, you have been expressing concern about the impact of this on their children… ”
It must have been shocking at least for the 6 year old to see both of his parents disappearing and being taken into care over night. Maybe also for the younger ones. One might think the wee ones didn’t get what happened, but who knows.
It certainly spoiled the childrens holiday.
However, the effect is the same whether the parents were just passing out because of adverse circumstances (tiredness + heat + SOME alcohol), or because of anyone’s culpable behaviour .
May 7th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Chenier - The fact that the McGs are reported as having discharged themselves from hospital is also suggestive…
———————-
Very stoical of the McG’s to discharge themselves when they had just been drugged with an unknown substance, I’d say.