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CARTAS ROGATORIAS UK (FILE 4)
10 to 12—Witness statement of Michelle Thompson (Kate’s friend) 2008.05.01
Leicestershire Police Squad
Witness Testimony
CJ Act 1967, s.9; MC Act 1980, ss.5ª(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 crèche, 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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