Revised translation of Russell O’Brien’s 4th May 2007 statement.


Processos Volume I
Pages 80 – 82


Policia Judiciaria

Portimao Criminal Investigation Department



WITNESS STATEMENT


Date: 2007-05-04

Time: 21.45

Place: Portimao DIC

Interviewing Officer: Inspector Joao Carvalho

Name: Russell James O'Brien


Nationality: English

Date of Birth: 1970-11-26

Residence: Exeter.

Civil status: Common Law Union.

Profession: Doctor



Being a British citizen and not understanding Portuguese, in its written or spoken form, the witness is accompanied during this act by a translator: Filipa M da Conceicao Silva.

The witness completely corroborates the statements by his partner Jane Tanner and by Rachael Mampilly, taken by Inspector Joao Carvalho, concerning the journey, the composition of the group and the daily routines of the adults and children of the group, of which he is a member, at the Ocean Cub, Praia da Luz.

In addition to his partner, he is on holiday with his two children **** O'Brien, aged three years and **** O'Brien aged one year.

He works as a doctor being a colleague of (Gerry) McCann, having worked together directly for six months.

His partner became pregnant at the same time as Gerry's wife, his daughter E*** differing more or less by one month in age to Madeleine Beth McCann.

**** and Madeleine were in the same room at the Kids Cub, near the reception, the staff responsible for them are Cat and another woman named Emma.

Until yesterday, May 3rd 2007, he has no knowledge of anything suspicious or strange happening around the group of friends or their children. Everybody seemed normal to him from the cleaning staff, the gardeners, to the rest of the resort’s employees. He never noticed anything strange at the beach either or anyone looking at them in a suspicious manner.

Yesterday, his daughter E*** was feeling ill. The witness dropped E*** (his other daughter) at the Kids Club at around 10 after breakfast.

He completely corroborates his partner Jane Tanner's statements about the rest of the day.

At around 19.15/19.30, the witness went to his apartment. He read some stories to his daughters, staying with **** who was feeling better. Meanwhile, his partner, Jane, went to have dinner at the "TAPAS" restaurant at around 20.30 and he went there at around 20.45.

When he arrived at the restaurant, some of the adults were already present, without children. David and Fiona Payne and Diane Webster were missing. They arrived more or less 5 minutes later.

At around 21.00, they had all ordered their meals.

As was normal, more or less every 15 minutes one person from each apartment would go to the apartments/rooms to check if the children were all right. Yesterday, as E*** was not well, the interval between checks was reduced.

He recalls that Matthew Oldfield left the restaurant shortly after 21.00 , having gone to the apartment to see the children.

He is no longer certain who left first, but five minutes later, Gerry McCann and his own partner, Jane, left, almost simultaneously. Jane must have returned first because she met Gerry talking to a person who was also staying at the resort, named Jez.

He thinks that Jane only checked their apartment, being more worried about E***. Then Gerry came back at around 21.25/21.30. At that moment began to eat the starters.

At about 21.35/21.40, taking advantage of the period during which they waited for their main courses to be served, the witness left the restaurant with Matthew to check the children. When he got to his apartment, his daughter E*** was crying and he stayed in her bedroom with her. He thinks that Matthew went to his own apartment.

Matthew returned to the restaurant five minutes after having left it.

His partner came to take his place about 15 minutes later so that he could finish his dinner.

At about 21.55, he went back to the restaurant where he waited for 5 or 10 minutes for his food to be served. All the other adults had finished.

At about 22.00, Kate Healy went out to check her children in her apartment, having returned shouting and entered the restaurant shouting, coming towards the table where we were all seated, that Madeleine had disappeared.

We all ran out and the witness together with other persons decided to go around the apartment blocks and our own apartments to see if we could find Madeleine.

During the personal search he made following the disappearance he did not identify any suspicious element, person or object.

When it appeared to them that she was possibly not in the immediate vicinity of the apartments they widened the search zone but it proved fruitless.

He does not know who called the police.

No more is said. He reads, ratifies and signs.


Statement signed by Inspector Carvalho and the translator

Processos Vol V Pages 1320 to 1322

Witness statement

Russell James O'Brien

Date: 2007.05.16


He comes to the process as a witness and of his own free will to make this statement.

When asked he says that he does not speak Portuguese and is assisted by the interpreter Alice Avakoff.

When asked whether he is capable of recognising without any doubt the suspect Robert Murat, the witness replies yes.

When questioned he says that the first time he saw Robert Murat was on the night of the events currently under investigation, in other words, the night upon which Madeleine disappeared, at about 01.00 in the early morning of 4th May.

That he saw Murat for the first time at this moment in the Rua Silva in front of the apartment where the events occurred, near to the parking area.

When asked whether Murat arrived before or after the police, the witness says that he does not know, given that at the time the police arrived he was not present as he was searching for Madeleine.

When he saw him for the first time the police were on the scene.

Robert Murat appeared in the middle of different people (friends from the group, people from the resort, tourists and locals) who were searching for Madeleine. he adds that he does not know at what time Murat appeared on the scene, nor whether he arrive alone or accompanied, in the sense that when the witness arrived at the scene, Murat was already there.

When asked, he says that as far as he can remember, Robert was translating conversations between two officers and various people who were searching for Madeleine. As far as he could make out at that time, it seemed that Robert was trying to help, in the sense that these people were exasperated with some of the officers. He remembers that all the people were quite upset, whilst Robert was very calm. That morning was the first time the witness spoke to Murat, not remembering whether he had approached Murat or whether Robert had addressed him. They had various discussions including the fact that Robert was fluent in Portuguese as he had lived in the country for many years.

He adds that Robert told him he had a daughter of Madeleine�s age in the UK and that Madeleine�s disappearance was a terrible thing.

When asked what Murat was wearing that night, the witness says he is not certain but thinks he was wearing dark coloured trousers, he can�t remember the colour, and a T-shirt, perhaps dark grey in colour and perhaps a jacket, the characteristics of which he cannot describe. He clearly remembers that Robert wore glasses.

When asked he says he does not know how Robert found out about Madeleine's disappearance nor how he arrived at the scene.

When asked, he says that he had never seen Robert before.

After this morning the witness saw Murat 3 more times, once on the morning of 4th May in the same street, rua Silva at about 12.00 in the company of police officers. About two days later he saw Murat at the OC reception at about 12.00/14.00. Robert was alone and walking towards the previously mentioned road. The witness says that he (ROB) was accompanied by Rachel. The last time he saw Robert was last Sunday, near to his house at about 20.30. At that moment the witness was with Jane.

He never noticed anything suspicious about Murat except for the last time he saw him when Robert was being transported in a vehicle, a green van with four windows, he does not remember the make, model or number plate and that he stopped, got out of the van, opened the back and showed photos of Madeleine and that he showed himself to be a very important person in the investigation, saying that he was providing immense help to the police in discovering the truth.

When asked, he says that according to his wife Jane, she did not see Murat on the night of the events as she had spent most of the time looking after her children.

No more is said. Reads, ratifies, signs.

With many thanks to Albym

Processos VOLUME VIII, pages 1945 to 1946

Witness statement of Russell James O'Brien 2007.07.11
Date: 11 July 2007; Time: 19h15; Place: Praia da Luz
Officer: Paulo F., Inspector
To the matter at hand he said:
--- That he confirms the completeness of his previous declarations given in the present case, giving
all of it unchanged as reproduced for this present document.
--- The deponent reaffirms that in truth he met Robert Murat on the night on which Madeleine
disappeared. He saw him for the first time about 01h00 on 4 May near to the parking area in front
of the main entrance [front door] of the apartment from which Madeleine disappeared.
--- That in the early hours of the morning of 4 May he was speaking with Robert Murat, having
spoken about the circumstances in which Madeleine could have disappeared. He saw him several
times that night given that he had stayed [remained] in the area [and] having also seen him
speaking with uniformed people.
--- The deponent would like now to inform that at some time he was aware that Robert Murat
assisted police officers [by] being the interpreter. Therefore, at some time, but already the following
morning, it appeared to him, he [ROB] approached Robert Murat having asked him [RM] to give
him [ROB] his [RM's] telephone number because he [ROB] considered that at some time he might
need the support of that person [RM] given that he spoke Portuguese correctly. In truth Robert
Murat furnished him with his mobile number which the deponent inserted into the calendar/address
book of his own mobile phone. He doesn't recall exactly the time that happened but has the idea
that it was already during the morning of 4 May [i.e. it was already daylight]. In an analysis of the
calendar/address book of the mobile phone by PJ officers it was verified that the number of Robert
Murat was inserted there immediately before number 914..., indicated as being of David Priest.
Questioned the deponent states that David was an Anglican priest [English vicar?] with whom the
deponent spoke on the morning of 4 May, and [of/from] whom he had asked his [David P.'s]
telephone number. He recalls that the conversation that he had had with that vicar was
accomplished [done/made] already at the end of the morning in the Ocean Club it having been on
that occasion that the deponent introduced that number into his calendar/address book.
--- He has no knowledge of any other facts that might assist in any way the present investigation.
--- The present work was accomplished in the presence of of Mrs. Lieve Van Loock, interpreter
who translated all questions and answers.
Nothing more said. Read, ratifies and will sign.

Statements linked in toc.