Madeleine McCann: The Tabloid Dog Pack, Kate McCann’s Diary And Shannon Matthews
MADDIE WATCH - Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann, Kate McCann, Gerry McCann and Robert Murat
PRESS GAZETTE: “Furious lawyer attacks tabloids’ ‘pack-dog’ mentality over stories”
Read all about it in the Star, Sun, Mirror etc.
Louis Charalambous represented Robert Murat in his libel action against eleven tabloid newspapers. Two other claimants in the same case, Sergey Malinka and Michaela Walczuch, were awarded apologies and a “substantial six-figure settlement”.
Charalambous tells the Press Gazette:
“Having to capitulate, apologise and pay up is not the end of it. The trust in those titles ebbs away among their combined readership of 15 million. In particular, readers of The Sun, Mirror, Express and Star were told lie after lie about my clients. It brings into question how much more of their paper’s news coverage they can rely on…
“There was a pack-dog mentality here and my clients and their families were the prey. The children of Robert and Michaela, little girls, one not much older than Madeleine, were hounded and had to go in and out of their homes with coats over their heads.
“I’d like to invite the editors of the worst of these titles to have tea and cake with them and explain why they let their journalists and photographers harass them. They are now recovering but the effects are long-lasting.”
Tea with lawyers? Take care. Bring a tape recorder and a copy of the invitation. Leave wallet at home. But what about the story, the single-thread story? What about our Maddy?
“Journalistically this was a story without legs: child goes missing, no idea of her fate and foreign coppers not leaking to their trusted hacks in the time-honoured way. Reporters then developed lines of the story and ‘creatively’ adopted the rubbish coming out of the Portuguese tabloid press.”
Case closed. What what about Murat?
Max Clifford, no longer representing Murat, says:
“If you think that the McCanns got £500,000 from one newspaper group, he went after 11 newspapers – and they were far more vicious to him than they were to the McCanns.”
Maybe Murat wasn’t after the money, just closure? Maybe the papers got of lightly?
“If you want people to believe you are innocent you can forget about it. He and his family are going to have to live with this for the rest of their lives.”
So says a professional PR not in the least bit bitter about being dropped by Murat.
THE SUN: “Kate’s Maddie diaries leaked”
EXCERPTS from Kate McCann’s diary covering the first agonising weeks after daughter Maddie vanished have emerged.
Did you see them? In case you didn’t, here they are:
They show that the desperate mum left messages asking PM Gordon Brown to “increase political pressure” to aid the search. After he phoned 40-year-old Kate and husband Gerry, she noted that Mr Brown was “nice and supportive” — but that she “felt a bit emotional after”.
DAILY MIRROR: “Kate and Gerry McCann: Portuguese cops’ hunt for Maddie ‘pathetic’”
Portuguese police knocked on just 443 doors in the failed hunt for missing Madeleine McCann.
That a lot?
There are 7,000 homes in Praia da Luz…
No door unknocked…
In stark contrast, British police probing the disappearance of Shannon Matthews earlier this year knocked on 5,000 doors and searched 2,000 houses. Nine-year-old Shannon was found in 24 days, whereas Portuguese police have stopped looking for Madeleine after 14 months.
But the police door knocking wasn’t what found Shannon Matthews. The rozzers responded to a tip off from a neighbour of one Paul Donovan.
Also, Shannon Matthews’ mother, Karen Matthews, is under arrest for her alleged part in her daughters’ disappearance. Kate McCann is innocent. So what do the two matters have in common? Or is this Tabloid Bingo?
A friend of the McCanns said: “The 443 doors would barely cover 500 yards from the apartment where Madeleine was taken. That is shocking and unacceptable.”
Is it?
Posted: 28th, July 2008 | In: Broadsheets, Madeleine McCann, Tabloids Comments (325) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments
- susan jones on Susan Boyle Weeps As The Press Set About Destroying Her
- The Real Stig on The Great Cathay Pacific Blocked Toilet Mystery
- SoDak-GhostDog on Interview With Survior Of James Arthur Ray’s Sedona Sweat Lodge
- Katie Norman on I’m A Celebrity: Joe Bugner’s Career In Pictures
- HOTWATER on Madeleine McCann: The Media Creates A New Maddie Monster And Twists The Facts
July 28th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Carmen
Well said and very balanced. I will be disappearing again tomorrow anyway as I am off on holiday for a week or so, depending on how things go.
Hope your arm improves soon.
July 28th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
İm afraid my wıfe stopped understandıng quıte some time ago, (bloody hell İve found the comma just leaves the apostrophe to find)
Melvyn, C——r. he ıs mıxed up enough beıng an orange hıppo wıthout you contınually gettıng hıs name wrong for heavens sake
July 28th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Daisy
they do it in all the good tv programmes but as its two different countries I suppose its not straigh
July 28th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
I trust not in the smoking area? we don’t want any nasty stubs , do we?
July 28th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
M and A
Wotcher saul
Is that for the golf course or the hippo beach?
—-
İt is specıal Cleopatras İsland sand thought ıt would make a nıce talking point just outsıde the Gazebo
July 28th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Well reminded, JJ!
Saul, 2 ladies returning from a sun drenched holiday in Greece were thrown off the plane in Germany because they got somewhat out of control.
Attempting to open the emergency cabin door at 30,000 feet up- because they wanted some fresh air- is almost as dangerous as incurring the wrath of Mervyn’s Mum, so do keep a careful eye on your fellow travellers.
Especially the female ones; I’m sure that your wife will understand!
July 28th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
No problem June İ myself have the vodka market cornered here.
M and A
thats ok then, you bringing that too? although could you bring some rather more essential liquids for us, including some Red by Boss, and if you can get hold of some coffee too
July 28th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Daisy
There’s never been a hint of it - so I don’t think they have offered any kind of deal.
July 28th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Daisy Says:
July 28th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
G’day All,
Haven’t had much to say about this case that could contribute to the debate, but still read occasionally.
But, does anybody know if either of the police forces (PJ or UK) have tried in the past to make a “deal” with any of the T9 …” talk and you won’t be prosecuted for any involvement in this case” sort of thing? Or is this illegal?
————————-
Hi, Daisy
PJ can’t make that sort of deal, because it has no validity under Portuguese law.
Over here we have something called Queens Evidence where a member of a gang, say, may testify against fellow members of a gang, perhaps in the hope of a reduced sentence.
But the only way you would find out about that is if it went to trial…
July 28th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Saul
Make sure they have no vodka , and neither have they been to Greece, unless you don’t suffer from vertigo or sheer terror when someone tries to open the plane’s door, while its cruising
July 28th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Brandon, I have now had a close look at the PJ report and also various summaries of Amaral’s book.
There are a few matters which make me wonder whether Leics police and SOCA have in fact given up on this case.
Example: everyone going to great lengths to say that phones weren’t tapped, or even if they were, that the evidence was usless or has been buried.
Also it’s difficult to see how Coldwater could have gone on for so long, claiming he had sources in Leics police, without them putting a stop to it.
M and A
From what I understand Coldwater no longer holds any water in 3a’s, and seriously would any Police force wade through 3a, wouldn’t they just do an IP trace….
July 28th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
I’d say you have at least another 5 minutes before Gloria makes an emergency landing in the pool…
—-
A nıce German lady has just transferred the pool into the bar area saves us goıng for a dip
July 28th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
İ have found a nıce blue bag seems they are customs proof. Now if i can only fınd some nıce female britısh tourısts to share my Mezes………
July 28th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Saul Says:
July 28th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
İm trying to find a way to get 2 hundred weight of sand through customs
————————————-
Frozen prawns, perhaps?
July 28th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Saul Says:
July 28th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
————————
Petrified?
You?
Turkey is almost on another continent, you know.
Even stealth hippos are not that fast, though admittedly the industrial strength spandex does cut down on air resistance.
I’d say you have at least another 5 minutes before Gloria makes an emergency landing in the pool…
July 28th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
İm trying to find a way to get 2 hundred weight of sand through customs
M and A
Wotcher saul
Is that for the golf course or the hippo beach?
July 28th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
ı,s ıs usiıng a Turkısh keyboard would trouble Job ıf he was posting
July 28th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
G’day All,
Haven’t had much to say about this case that could contribute to the debate, but still read occasionally.
But, does anybody know if either of the police forces (PJ or UK) have tried in the past to make a “deal” with any of the T9 …” talk and you won’t be prosecuted for any involvement in this case” sort of thing? Or is this illegal?
July 28th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Saul, why are half your “i” ’s dotted and half not?
July 28th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Here you are, Saul:
,
July 28th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
chenier Says:
July 27th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
Karaoke machine works for me provided we ban Gloria Gaynor.
We do not wish to enrage our own hippos…
———————
Typical you turn your back for 5 mins and your party pıece ıs threatened with a ban.
At fırst İ was afraid…… İ was Petrıfıed…
Still cant fınd the bloody comma
July 28th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
- Martin leads in Eddie and tells him to sit at the front door, so that he can remove the leash. Contrary to expectations of this wonder dog-detective, Eddie ignored the command and ran immediately to the interior of the apt, where he ran “devilishly” from the living room to the parent’s bedroom. Grimes says worriedly that something has made Eddie nervous and he calls Eddie again so that he can give orders to indicate where to start searching. An investigator is video taping. Some minutes later, Eddie focuses on the floor of the couple’s bedroom, next to the wardrobe and gives the alert for cadaver odor, in a strident bark
- Why here, in the couple’s room? More goosebumps to follow: Eddie gives another strident bark next to the living room wall, behind the blue sofa, under the window.
- Apt 5A begins to give up its mystery.
- On that night, before 10pm, the investigators see Gerald McCann near the apartment, driving alone in the rented Renault with the face of one “who has few friends.”
- If the cadaver (EVRD) dog alerts, then the blood (CSI) dog is brought in. They are trained to find ONLY human blood, even in areas thoroughly cleaned with chemicals or bleaches. Sometimes they find blood vestiges so small that they can’t be collected, and the surrounding materials themselves have to be transported to the lab. This happened with Keela.
- Keela is brought in and she marks blood in the same place as Eddie marked the cadaver smell… she stopped, immobile, with her nose pointed at the precise location of the smell. The tiles on the floor.
- Outside, Eddie gives two more alerts of cadaver smell, on the varanda of the couple’s bedroom and also in a garden situation directly below it. Here, the bark is weaker, like a “could be”, with some doubt, like a human shrugging their shoulders.
- Going now to the other apts, the investigators are nervous. Who knows what will come next? But to the amazement of all, after very careful exams of all the other apts, Eddie exhibits complete disinterest. Martin decides to not use Keela, since Eddie found no cadaver smell.
- There are signs of death in Apartment 5A. It’s necessary to confirm that, prior to 3 May, no one had died there. The OC has no records of anything like that, nor the fire department, nor the paramedics, nor the prior apt owners knew of any death in the apt.
- It is concluded, therefore, that the cadaver odor could only come from one person: Madeleine Beth McCann
———————————————
Allegedly from my interpretation of the book –
July 28th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
VQ yuk people,very much so….
July 28th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
BabyJane Says:
July 28th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
A mouse with a big ball on top! A masterpiece of genetic mutation!
——————————
Damn these scientists; mice with small balls on top are quite bad enough…
July 28th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
BabyJane Says:
July 28th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Was usually an Ear….but that must be old hat by now.
July 28th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Apparently the dog alerted on Kate’s black and white check pants.
Source mccannfiles.com
She was wearing those in the birthday cake picture, the one with the big knife.
Must have been wearing those when she attended to those 6 deaths.
Amazing that they were never washed.
That family as some sort of hygiene. No sheets on the the beds of the twins, either.
July 28th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
A mouse with a big ball on top! A masterpiece of genetic mutation!
July 28th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
I used to get a pain in my lower back, so I moved my computer to the other side of me, and stopped drinking so heavily
July 28th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
I used to get a pain in my hand, and I swapped mine for a mouse with a big ball on top.
costs about £25 but is a dream to use!
July 28th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
M and A
a moot but maybe relevant point Cheryl, GB did not become PM until later in the year, sometime last July. If that fairly obvious fact is misreported, what else is?
—————————-
I think it was the end of June, Wednesday 27th June, 2007 to be precise, so that must have been at least 8 weeks after Madeleine disappeared.
It seems to be part of Team McCann’s curious blindness to numbers; the number of metres to the apartment, the Ward of Court ‘a few weeks after her disappearance’ turning out to be 10 months and so on…