McCanns Get Court Date For £1m Cop Lawsuit

by ufercoffy 11.12.11 15:35

SKY NEWS

Gerry and Kate McCann's £1m lawsuit against the Portuguese police officer who bungled the hunt for missing Madeleine will be heard early next year, it is understood.

The civil case against Goncalo Amaral - who was in charge of the Madeleine investigation for five months before he was thrown off the case - will take place in Lisbon on February 9 and 10, according to a source close to the couple.

The 52-year-old former detective has made a fortune selling a book and TV documentary claiming the young British girl is dead - and wrongly claiming her parents staged a cover-up.

In their writ the McCanns describe Amaral as 'self-obsessed'

The McCanns have always strongly denied his allegation and in a 36-page writ lodged in June 2009, they accuse Mr Amaral of libel and breaching their human rights.

The couple, from Rothley in Leicestershire, will not give evidence themselves but are expected to attend court.

"Amaral has made the McCann family's life hell and he has made himself rich in the process," a family source said.

"Kate and Gerry want to stop him spouting his malicious lies about them and to stop him profiting from their pain, and the only way to do that is by going to court."

In their writ, the McCanns describe the now-retired detective as a self-obsessed, manipulative money-grabber with no morals.

They claim Mr Amaral's repeated insistence that their daughter is dead discouraged people from looking for her.

The couple also describe in detail the pain and anguish they say Mr Amaral caused them by repeatedly smearing them - saying his slurs left them "totally destroyed".

Madeleine disappeared in May 2007 - only days before her fourth birthday

The McCanns are seeking at least 1.2m euros (£1m) in damages from the ex-policeman, and if they win the case the money will go towards the search for Madeleine.

Amaral's book, titled The Truth About The Lie, was translated into six languages and has sold more than 333,000 copies worldwide.

It was also made into a 50-minute TV documentary.

Madeleine disappeared on May 3, 2007, only days before her fourth birthday.

She had been left sleeping in a holiday apartment as her parents dined with friends in a nearby tapas bar in the resort of Praia da Luz in southern Portugal.

The country's attorney general Jose Pinto Monteiro has cleared the McCanns of any wrongdoing over Madeleine's disappearance.

http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16128127
----------------------------------

What really bothers me about all the lies the McCanns and the media tell about Goncalo Amaral is thinking about what ex cop Toby Day did to his wife, children and himself.

I know the situation isn't the same but even policemen get depressed when their lives are being ruined.

The McCanns and the media are ruining this man's life and they should be careful.

I hope Goncalo is strong and stays strong and that he WINS this case. pray2

by pauline 11.12.11 15:50

This sky news story about the court date for the McCanns case seems libellous ;

It says Sr Amaral 'bungled' the inquiry. Where is the evidence for this? the McCanns did not co-operate. Amaral was taken off the case before he could conclude his work.

'wrongly claiming the parents were involved in a cover up' - this is his genuine opinion on the basis of his investigation - yes he could be wrong but where is the evidence that he is? he is entitled to put his opinions forward providing his intention is not malicious.

'spouting malicious lies' - where is the proof that he lied?

The news report says he is a 'self obsessed man, manipulative, with no morals and money grabbing' - some might say that description would fit Gerry McCann.

Finally, why are the McCanns not giving evidence in this Feb 2012 hearing? As the innocent parties as they claim, why do they not want their day in court so they can tell the judge and the world how they have suffered at the hands of Sr Amaral? I may be wrong about this, but I understand that lawyers rarely permit a client they believe to be guilty to give evidence for fear they will incriminate themselves. Now this is not a criminal trial with the Mccanns accused of anything but my point is that if innocent of involvement in Madeleine's disappearance they have everything to gain (incl.lots of money in damages) by going into court and answering questions truthfully, but if they had involvement in her disappearance they have everying to lose by facing a half decent lawyer acting for Sr Amaral.

by Guest 11.12.11 16:14

Martin Brunt must have known about this for weeks, people on twitter have said they have been tweeting him for weeks with this, and he has only just found out. Hmmm. So the slating of Mr Amaral has started nice and early then. I expect we will see many more articles like this in the run up to the trial over the next few weeks. Strange this story was released today. Wonder what else could be happening elsewhere???

by Maive 11.12.11 16:23

My God!! The Press is so manipulative, I just can't believe it.. As soon as it concerns the McCanns, facts are no longer there..

«...and if they win the case the money will go towards the search for Madeleine.» Oh Yeah.. For «the search for Madeleine»... In their pockets you mean??

«The 52-year-old former detective has made a fortune selling a book and TV documentary...». Really?? A fortune?? He doesn't even have his books being returned to him.. McCanns Get Court Date For £1m Cop Lawsuit 442375629

McCanns Get Court Date For £1m Cop Lawsuit 442375629

I'm disgusted.. How is it possible to have that power? Over the government, LE, the Press, etc.. It's beyond belief..

Good luck to everyone, Det. Amaral, Pat Brown, TB and the Free Speech, I sure that you need it to fight these lies and the abuse of power..

by Guest 11.12.11 16:37

I think Sky forgot to mention this piece...................

Gonçalo Amaral's book on Maddie can return to bookshops, 19 October 2010

Gonçalo Amaral's book on Maddie can return to bookshops Jornal de Noticias

MARISA RODRIGUES
19 October 2010, 13h06m
With thanks to Astro for translation

Gonçalo Amaral's book about the Madeleine McCann case can return to bookshops. The Appeals Court of Lisbon has just agreed with the former Polícia Judiciária coordinator, who has always defended the thesis of the little English girl's death.

"The contents of the book does not offend any of the fundamental rights of the applicants [the McCann couple and their three children]" and "the exercise of its writing and publication is included in the constitutional rights that are assured to everyone by the European Convention for Human Rights and by the Portuguese Republic's Constitution", reads the decision, to which JN [Jornal de Notícias] had access.

In September 2009, after an injunction that was filed by the McCann couple, the Civil Court of Lisbon forbade the sale of the book "The Truth of the Lie" and also the reproduction of a documentary that is based upon the book and was broadcast by TVI.

A decision that earns harsh criticism from the Appeals Court judges. To forbid the former PJ coordinator "of expressing his opinion, by any means (in writing, interview, analysis, commentary), about what he wrote in that book, cuts off one of his rights that is constitutional and universal: that of opinion and of freedom of expression", the decision mentions.

The three Appeals Court judges that sign the decision furthermore consider that the sentence from the Civil Court of Lisbon violated the Portuguese Republic's Constitution and the European Convention for Human Rights.

Apart from watching "The Truth of the Lie" returning to bookshops, Gonçalo Amaral sees his right to freedom of expression returned to himself.

And this...............

Gonçalo Amaral's book can return to bookshops Sol

By Ana Paula Azevedo
19 October 2010
With thanks to Astro for translation

The judges at the Appeals Court in Lisbon compared the book with the archiving dispatch from the investigation into Maddie's disappearance: "We do not find any mention to any facts in the book that are not also in that dispatch. Where the author (Gonçalo Amaral) differs from the Prosecutors that wrote the dispatch is in the logical, police-work-oriented and investigative interpretation of said facts. In that sense, we stand before the exercise of the right of opinion, namely in a domain in which the author is an expert, as he worked as a criminal investigator for 26 years".

"Concerning the applicants' (the McCann couple's) protection of private life, it is themselves who give multiple interviews and intervene in the media, offering them [the media] information that would otherwise hardly be published" and that "they voluntarily decided to limit their right to the intimacy of private life, in order to pursue higher values like the discovery of their daughter’s whereabouts".

Nonetheless, in doing so, "they opened the doors for others to give their opinion about the matter, in accordance to what they were saying, but eventually also in contradiction with their directions, yet always within a legitimate and constitutionally consecrated right of opinion and freedom of expression of thought".

The decision was issued by the Appeals judges Francisco Bruto da Costa, Catarina Arelo Mando and António Valente.

All information about overturning of book ban and articles quoted on this link...

http://www.mccannfiles.com/id344.html

by puzzled 11.12.11 16:43

ufercoffy wrote:

In their writ the McCanns describe Amaral as 'self-obsessed'

Presumably it's unnecessary to make any further comment on this statement.

by TrollAng 11.12.11 16:55

I note that in true McCann style censorship you may publicly recommend it on google, recommend it to your fb friends and tweet it.

But nowhere can you voice an opinion on it.

by Smokeandmirrors 11.12.11 17:07

Good God, what a cheek! This pair of defamatory slanderers really need to be put in their place. Let's hope the Judge at the libel trial has more balls than that bloke in the Leveson Inquiry.

How can they give evidence at LI about nasty comments when they have shown their own acid tongues? Screams hypocrisy.

by Guest 11.12.11 17:10

With acknowledgement to the Missing Madeleine site, here is a link to four postings on the Orange site about the story which have now been wooshed.

http://missingmadeleine.forumotion.net/t18180-mccanns-get-court-date-sky-news

The posting at 4.10 p.m. is the one.

by pennylane 11.12.11 17:37

TrollAng wrote:I note that in true McCann style censorship you may publicly recommend it on google, recommend it to your fb friends and tweet it.

But nowhere can you voice an opinion on it.

Which is precisely why I am still here some 4+ years later! McCanns Get Court Date For £1m Cop Lawsuit 1956175960

I think the McCanns are shaking in their shoes as they know they will lose their case in February, and the punitive costs will immediately start to pile up against them.

This is a low-life attempt at damage limitations, and a way to further disparage Dr Amaral in advance in the hopes that when the inevitable happens and they lose their libel case, they will garner sympathy (from the brain dead sheeple), and hopefully hustle up some more donations to the McFund to cushion the blow McCanns Get Court Date For £1m Cop Lawsuit 3247107148

McCanns Get Court Date For £1m Cop Lawsuit 3247107148

(imo)

by TrollAng 11.12.11 17:58

pennylane wrote:
TrollAng wrote:I note that in true McCann style censorship you may publicly recommend it on google, recommend it to your fb friends and tweet it.

But nowhere can you voice an opinion on it.

Which is precisely why I am still here some 4+ years later!

I think the McCanns are shaking in their shoes as they know they will lose their case in February, and the punitive costs will immediately start to pile up against them.

This is a low-life attempt at damage limitations, and a way to further disparage Dr Amaral in advance in the hopes that when the inevitable happens and they lose their libel case, they will garner sympathy (from the brain dead sheeple), and hopefully hustle up some more donations to the McFund to cushion the blow (imo)

Lol, Pennylane, I wonder how many sheeple there really are out there? It's giving GA a nice target after his big win in Feb and hopefully there will be far less xenophobia and more respect for european policing. But I love Candyfloss's question, is there anything else going on?

by pennylane 11.12.11 18:39

TrollAng wrote:
pennylane wrote:
TrollAng wrote:I note that in true McCann style censorship you may publicly recommend it on google, recommend it to your fb friends and tweet it.

But nowhere can you voice an opinion on it.

Which is precisely why I am still here some 4+ years later!

I think the McCanns are shaking in their shoes as they know they will lose their case in February, and the punitive costs will immediately start to pile up against them.

This is a low-life attempt at damage limitations, and a way to further disparage Dr Amaral in advance in the hopes that when the inevitable happens and they lose their libel case, they will garner sympathy (from the brain dead sheeple), and hopefully hustle up some more donations to the McFund to cushion the blow (imo)

Lol, Pennylane, I wonder how many sheeple there really are out there? It's giving GA a nice target after his big win in Feb and hopefully there will be far less xenophobia and more respect for european policing. But I love Candyfloss's question, is there anything else going on?

Xenophobia is rife and at the heart of the McCanns ability to bull doze their believers imo.

I believe this latest TM rubbish has come hot off the back of Goncalo Amaral's heart felt article yesterday, whereby he explains how this pair of (cough) devout Catholics have tried to take everything from him... so perhaps therein lies the link.

I expect these types of Team McCann stories are in the hopper and ready to be fired off regularly in the run up to the trial, and immediately thereafter McCanns Get Court Date For £1m Cop Lawsuit 153420

McCanns Get Court Date For £1m Cop Lawsuit 153420

by Ollie 11.12.11 18:46

All the claims the McCanns are making has left me totally speechless!

by Guest 11.12.11 18:56

Hope someone has sent Mr Amaral that article. Could come in handy for his libel trial.

From twitter.................

ProfilerPatBPAT BROWN

Why does the Leveson Inquiry not note abuse BY the McCanns & their media supporters? http://singlemumsal.blogspot.com/2011/12/ahhh-old-mccannstoryagain.html #McCann

20 minutes

@ProfilerPatBPAT BROWN

@SarahTateAuthor @w_nicht Good blog post and tweeted. Yes, that one was blatantly libelous against Amaral and full of rot.

21 minutes

by Cheshire Cat 11.12.11 20:47

candyfloss wrote:Hope someone has sent Mr Amaral that article. Could come in handy for his libel trial.

From twitter.................

ProfilerPatBPAT BROWN

Why does the Leveson Inquiry not note abuse BY the McCanns & their media supporters? http://singlemumsal.blogspot.com/2011/12/ahhh-old-mccannstoryagain.html #McCann

20 minutes

@ProfilerPatBPAT BROWN

@SarahTateAuthor @w_nicht Good blog post and tweeted. Yes, that one was blatantly libelous against Amaral and full of rot.

21 minutes

Pat Brown wil be there in February, no doubt with this article and many more that have been in the UK press. Merry Xmas team McCann.

by scotclogs 12.12.11 7:48

McCanns describe Amaral as 'self-obsessed' wft

pot - Kettle - black WHAT A CHEEK they have
daft1

by Guest 12.12.11 8:38

As my mother would have said "it takes one to know one!".

I wonder if the McCanns managed to keep a straight face when they came out with that particular little gem; we know that this is something they don't always manage to do.

by Me 12.12.11 13:07

scotclogs wrote: McCanns describe Amaral as 'self-obsessed' pot - Kettle - black WHAT A CHEEK they have

Self-obsessed?? Well if the gruesome twosome had tried to break me from my wife, my family, my job, my right to free speech, my right to make a living and to destroy me financially, for doing nothing more than my job and reporting on the conclusions and summaries I came to in carrying out my occupation, I think I’d be a bit self-obsessed as well. And with good reason.

How about the obsession the Team themselves have with Amaral? They are the ones who have sought not to rebut his allegations using facts and evidence. They are the ones who have misappropriated monies donated by the public to find a missing child to commence legal action (that they would no doubt have been unable to afford without the fund behind them) in order to prevent free speech, the reporting of the findings of the official investigation and for Amaral to defend the scurrilous allegations levelled against him in the Uk media, fed by the Team and their cronies.

All so they can keep him and his theories quiet and cynically massage the narrative so that only their version of events is allowed to be discussed and debated.

Now that’s not only obsession, but far worse, obsession purely out of cynical self-interest and desperate self-preservation.

by jd 12.12.11 13:22

Me wrote:
Self-obsessed?? Well if the gruesome twosome had tried to break me from my wife, my family, my job, my right to free speech, my right to make a living and to destroy me financially, for doing nothing more than my job and reporting on the conclusions and summaries I came to in carrying out my occupation, I think I’d be a bit self-obsessed as well. And with good reason.

plus they are trying to take his pension and house

All so they can keep him and his theories quiet and cynically massage the narrative so that only their version of events is allowed to be discussed and debated.

This is a form of dictatorship

by Guest 12.12.11 13:28

Monday, 12 December 2011

It's a Fair Cop... and the £1m Lawsuit
Such an appalling, biased report from Sky, let's spin the McSpin...

continued on link below..........
http://thepottingshedder.blogspot.com/

by Gillyspot 12.12.11 17:49

For what it's worth I have written to both Sky news and the PCC regarding this article.

I will keep you all informed when (if) I get a response.

by Liz Eagles 12.12.11 22:09

Can someone answer this?

If the McCanns lose and punitive damages are awarded to Amaral McCanns Get Court Date For £1m Cop Lawsuit 3934901622

will they be paying this out of their private purse or will it come from the McFund that is dedicated to the search for Madeleine?

Is there any chance the McCanns could face personal financial strife/ruin in this libel case or is that only Amaral's problem?

What a level playing field eh?

If the McCanns lose the case McCanns Get Court Date For £1m Cop Lawsuit 3934901622

what will be the next marketing strategy to generate income to the McFund?

I'd love to be a fly on the wall when that meeting takes place. I'd like to think it hasn't already taken place but there is a teflon arrogance to TM that assumes it will always win.

by Xavier 12.12.11 22:46

Aquila. NIce idea. But the concept of punitive damages does not exist in Portugal. Damages and costs are limited to actual pecuniary loss, and in most cases each party will meet their own costs.

Similarly Amaral does not face financial ruin. If the McCanns were to win their case, in all probability each party would meet their own costs. Amaral et al may find that the concept of "unjust enrichment" is invoked, which involves returning or paying over "what he unjustly earned" (Article 473 (1) of the Civil Code). Therefore he and his co defendants would be in effect in the same position as they would have been had a libel not been committed, but no more.

by pauline 12.12.11 22:58

Xavier, is the Feb court case the end of the line? or can there be more appeals?

if the McCanns lose for the third time in a row, they must have substantial legal bills to pay. (Uncle) Brian Kennedy says in a video in 2007 that most of the funds are likely to go on legal expenses. How true! the directors report in the audited accounts refers to the case against Sr Amaral and its quite clear to me that the Fund is paying for this case.

the McCanns will also have to pay Sr Amaral's costs and presumably some sort of damages (even if not punitive)

by Guest 12.12.11 23:05

pauline wrote:Xavier, is the Feb court case the end of the line? or can there be more appeals?

if the McCanns lose for the third time in a row, they must have substantial legal bills to pay. (Uncle) Brian Kennedy says in a video in 2007 that most of the funds are likely to go on legal expenses. How true! the directors report in the audited accounts refers to the case against Sr Amaral and its quite clear to me that the Fund is paying for this case.

the McCanns will also have to pay Sr Amaral's costs and presumably some sort of damages (even if not punitive)

This from Mr Amaral's article - Justice works in silence ..............

[quote]

“Well, I put the McCanns in a metaphorical box and I am not really thinking too much about the trial in February. I think I will win, and then they will appeal – but I have to have a path. I want to open another consultancy. I had one when I left the police force, but that was destroyed when the McCanns went after me over “A Verdade de Mentira”.