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Courtroom Fairy Tales - McCanns Forced To Listen To Amaral "The Wizard Of Bile"
Daily Mail Headline 'Court agony for McCanns: Couple listen in disbelief as Portuguese police say Maddie is dead and abduction was faked'; says "Portuguese police convinced themselves Madeleine McCann's parents faked her abduction, despite having no evidence against them, a court was told yesterday. Officers leading the investigation into the three-year-old's disappearance believed she died in a 'tragic accident' and that her parents hid her body, a senior detective admitted yesterday. The dramatic confession was made during a tense legal battle in a Portuguese courtroom, played out in front of Kate and Gerry McCann. After almost three years of leaks, slurs and innuendo, Inspector Tavares Almeida laid bare unsubstantiated police suspicions against the couple. It was the first time any Portuguese police officer has spoken publicly about the decision to name the McCanns as arguidos, or official suspects. Mr Almeida said the decision was taken after he filed a damning report to the Portuguese prosecutor in September 2007, four months after Madeleine's disappearance. 'The conclusion arrived at in the report was that Madeleine McCann died in the apartment and that the McCanns simulated the abduction,' he said. 'So they are suspects. It was a tragic accident in the apartment that night.' Mr McCann shook his head in disbelief as Mr Almeida gave his evidence on behalf of his former senior officer, disgraced detective Goncalo Amaral. He put his arm around his wife as they sat in the public gallery of the court. The couple, both 41, have accused Mr Amaral of libel after he wrote a book accusing them of covering up their daughter's death. Yesterday's hearing was part of that £1million libel case. Mr Almeida claimed that British police had also believed the McCanns were involved after Madeleine vanished from their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz. 'We all believe she is dead,' he declared defiantly. 'It was our conclusion as police professionals, both Portuguese and British police. The McCanns didn't kill her but they concealed the body.
Daily Mail Headline 'Court agony for McCanns: Couple listen in disbelief as Portuguese police say Maddie is dead and abduction was faked'; says "Portuguese police convinced themselves Madeleine McCann's parents faked her abduction, despite having no evidence against them, a court was told yesterday. Officers leading the investigation into the three-year-old's disappearance believed she died in a 'tragic accident' and that her parents hid her body, a senior detective admitted yesterday. The dramatic confession was made during a tense legal battle in a Portuguese courtroom, played out in front of Kate and Gerry McCann. After almost three years of leaks, slurs and innuendo, Inspector Tavares Almeida laid bare unsubstantiated police suspicions against the couple. It was the first time any Portuguese police officer has spoken publicly about the decision to name the McCanns as arguidos, or official suspects. Mr Almeida said the decision was taken after he filed a damning report to the Portuguese prosecutor in September 2007, four months after Madeleine's disappearance. 'The conclusion arrived at in the report was that Madeleine McCann died in the apartment and that the McCanns simulated the abduction,' he said. 'So they are suspects. It was a tragic accident in the apartment that night.' Mr McCann shook his head in disbelief as Mr Almeida gave his evidence on behalf of his former senior officer, disgraced detective Goncalo Amaral. He put his arm around his wife as they sat in the public gallery of the court. The couple, both 41, have accused Mr Amaral of libel after he wrote a book accusing them of covering up their daughter's death. Yesterday's hearing was part of that £1million libel case. Mr Almeida claimed that British police had also believed the McCanns were involved after Madeleine vanished from their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz. 'We all believe she is dead,' he declared defiantly. 'It was our conclusion as police professionals, both Portuguese and British police. The McCanns didn't kill her but they concealed the body.