Sandy Cameron :July 2007, I began to notice a strange odour in the car

Posted on Steelmagnolia's blog

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"During these first two months we provided help to Kate and Gerry, and only returned to the U.K. on two occasions in order to take care of some personal business. In the beginning of July of 2007, we left the Ocean Club and moved to a villa with Kate, Gerry and the twins in the Montinhos zone, around 1.5 km from the OC.

We never noticed anything strange in the site were we stayed. On the 27th of May of 2007, Gerry was handed a rental vehicle in the Mark Warner tourist complex; a Renault Scenic with plate number 59-DA-27.

I met with the representative of the car rental agency at Gerry's request, and as such, my name was also on the rental contract so that I could also drive the vehicle; to drive the children and to go shopping. These were things that Gerry was too occupied to carry out himself.

I was the habitual drive of the vehicle and used it daily.

I drove to many places, including the airport, local supermarkets, and drove the children to the zoo and the beaches in the area. I also travelled as a passenger on many occasions, when Kate, Gerry or other people were visiting, or driving the vehicle.

People who were present in the vehicle were Kate, Gerry, Sean, Amelie, Mike Wright, Janet (Kate's aunt), Kate's mother and father, and her friend Amanda. Basically, the vehicle served as a transport for friend and family who cam to offer their help to Kate and Gerry and also to effect daily routines. The same vehicle was also used to move us from the Ocean Club to the villa, transporting all the luggage and personal objects from one location to the other. During these trips, the children seats would be removed to create space."

Whilst in the villa, a gardener would arrive every week or about every 15 days. This was organized by the estate agency.

The gardener would leave black rubbish bags near the gate, and on at least one occasion, I used the vehicle to remove these bags. The collection of rubbish in Portugal is not made as it is in the U.K., and for this reason, it was necessary to take the rubbish to a tip (disposal area) which was called 'recycling area' near the back of the Ocean Club. I used the Renault Scenic for this reason on many occasions.


On one occasion, I believe it was on July of 2007, I took Patricia to the supermarket. We carried bags in the boot (trunk) of the Renault Scenic; bought various items including fresh fish, shrimp and beef.


When we unloaded the shopping bags, we noticed that blood has run out of the bottom of the plastic bag. After this shopping trip and still in the month of July 2007, I began to notice a strange odour in the car.

I did not give it much importance and assumed it was likely due to the leakage from the rubbish bags or from the blood which had escaped from the shopping bags. As a result, we removed the carpet from the boot (trunk) in order to clean it.


I tossed (beat) the boot carpet to remove any particles and cleaned it with a wet cloth and left it to air out."

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George Anthony...speaks of odour in the carOn

I think she is trying to suggest that the gardener's black bag is responsible for the 15 markers matching to Madeleine, that was found in their boot. I hope that gardener has a good lawyer. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

A complete red herring of course ... first of all Eddie and Keela are only trained to human remains, secondly the forensic tests showed that it was human blood.

So unless, as Stella says, they are trying to insinuate that the gardener was dumping human remains in with the garden rubbish Sandy's 'recollections' are totally irrelevant

If you noticed blood spill onto your hire car while you removed the shopping from the boot then wouldn't you clean it straight away? I don't know anyone who would not take care of that problem immediately. Giving them the benefit of the doubt and they let it go then wouldn't the removal of the carpet and cleaning it be suffice? Would blood from beef and some fish really need the boot to be opened morning noon and night? I don't think so and they did clean the carpet so that should have been suffice as is did not seep into the car seats where it would be harder to clean but certainly not impossible.
I have my suspicions about what the smell was and Eddie knew what the smell was and Keela never alerted to cow blood or something fishy!

Of course you would clean it up straight away, especially in a hot climate and especially as it was a hire car.

Hands up all those who have ever ever EVER spilled blood in your car from your shopping...

It must be the fault of those "sardine munching" Portuguese shopkeepers, who don't bother to wrap bloody, smelly meat or fish properly!