Processos
Volume I
Pages 73
- 76
Witness
Statement
Date:
2007-05-04
Time:
19.20
Interviewing Officer: Inspector Joao Carvalho
Name:
Rachael Mariamma Jean Mampilly Oldfield.
Nationality: British
Marital
Status: Married
Profession: Recruitment Consultant
Interview
with Rachael Mariamma Jean Mampilly Oldfield.
On the subject we note that.
Being a British citizen and not understanding the Portuguese
language, in spoken or written form, the undersigned was
accompanied by a sworn translator: Filipa M.C.S. The
interview begins at 7.20pm on May 4th 2007.
Since last Saturday, April 28th 2007, she has been on
holiday in Portugal at the Ocean Club tourist complex in
Praia da Luz, accompanied by her husband Matthew Oldfield.
They travelled from London to Faro airport with their
daughter ******, aged 19 months. This trip was organised for
a group of nine adults and eight children. Her husband and
her daughter are part of the group:
- The
couple, Russell O'Brien and Jane Michelle Tanner, with
their daughters, **** aged three and a half and ****
aged 19 months.
- David and
Fiona Payne with their daughters *** aged three years
and ***** aged 12 months.
- Gerald
(Gerry) McCann and Kate MCann with their twins, Sean and
Amelie, aged 26 months and Madeleine aged 4 years.
Also in their group is
Diane Webster, Fiona Payne's mother.
The holiday was organised because
the men in the group are all doctors, in addition to
[as are]
Fiona Payne and Kate McCann who
worked together for a long time. These shared holidays are
usually organised for the whole group, although for the last
holiday, last September, Gerry McCann and Kate McCann did
not go to Greece with the group.
The interviewee has known the couple, Gerry and Kate, since
2003. Her husband, Matthew, knew them from before. On
arrival at the airport, they were transported in a, "Mark
Warner," company bus. There were other people on the bus
apart from the group. They were put up at the Ocean Club in
Praia da Luz.
The couples had their own, individual apartments, at the
same complex, with their respective children. Since their
arrival until yesterday evening, when Madeleine disappeared,
the days have all been the same.
After breakfast, taken between 8 and 9 am in the Millennium
restaurant, she takes her daughter to the Kids Club, about
10 minutes walk from the apartment. The other couples do
exactly the same thing, with the exception of Gerry and Kate
McCann who have breakfast in their apartment. The
interviewee's daughter goes to a room at the Kids Club which
is close to the, "TAPAS," restaurant. Madeleine goes to
another room, situated near the club's reception, because
she is older.
After dropping her daughter off, the interviewee had a
tennis lesson between 11 and 12 o'clock. Then she went back
to the Kids Club to pick up her daughter, ******, for lunch,
between 12h15/12h30.
She made ******'s lunch and then they went to Russell
O'Brien or David Payne's apartment, where they all ate
together. Only Gerry and Kate McCann had lunch in their
apartment with the twins and Madeleine. The interviewee has
the impression that the McCann family had one lunch together
on the beach.
All members of the group did their shopping at the only
supermarket near the complex, the "Batista."
she
not being concerned however about it. There are several
till-points, more or less five. Twice she went to shop
having always been attended at the till by ladies.
She never saw any suspicious attention, or ever had
suspicions about anybody she came across, either in their
independent activities or in the group with their children.
Her relationship with the couple, Gerry and Kate, is one of
good friendship and they meet up occasionally at
celebrations, weddings and birthdays.
Concerning Madeleine, she is a happy child, good natured and
full of energy. She considers it impossible that a stranger
could take her without her shouting or crying. She is a
smart child who knows right from wrong.
TAPAS
They had the habit of going to eat every evening at
the,"TAPAS," restaurant which is about 50 metres from the
apartments as the crow flies but 65 or 70 metres round the
building to the back entrance.
Yesterday, at around 8.45pm, like every evening, they joined
the rest of the group to eat at the," tapas," restaurant. Her
husband Matthew, went to look for David Payne and Fiona
Payne. At around 9pm, the couple arrived followed by Matthew
two or three minutes later. He had been to check the children's
bedrooms, his own apartment where his daughter was sleeping
but also that of the twins and Madeleine. He listened at
both closed shutters and didn't hear any noise. He also
checked to see if there was any noise in Russell O'Brien and
Jane Tanner's apartment. He said that he hadn't heard any
noise.
After placing their orders, at around 9.15pm, Gerry McCann
went to check, only his apartment. He was held up for nearly
10 minutes because, he said, he had been chatting with Jes
about tennis. Today there was a tournament which they both
had to compete in. During Gerry's absence, the waiters
started to bring the food. Before Gerry arrived Jane
Michelle Tanner also left [absented herself] having gone to
see her apartment. A little later Jane arrived.
Between the starters and the main course, at around 9.30pm,
her husband Matthew
Oldfield and
Russell
O'Brien both went to check on the children. Kate was also
planning to go and see the children, but they told her it
was no trouble, that they would go and check. Kate,
therefore, stayed at the restaurant. Four or five minutes
later the interviewee's husband came back after having
checked his apartment. He also checked the one where
Madeleine was. He entered the apartment by the sliding
door/window at the rear
(the couple Gerry and Kate McCann left that access
unlocked during dinner). The said patio door gives access to the apartment's
lounge where two doors open into the respective bedrooms.
Her husband went into the main room and "peeped"
into one of the bedrooms where the couple's three children
were sleeping. He didn't switch any lights on. He could see
the twins in their beds. The bedroom door was half-open. It
was only later that he realised this was strange. At the
time, he gave no importance to the fact. The interviewee's
husband came back to the restaurant and said that everything
was fine, that he hadn't heard any noise. He also said that
Russell O'Brien was staying with his daughter, ****, who was
crying.
They had the main course and Jane went off to replace
Russell so that he could come and eat. The interviewee does
not know exactly when Russell arrived.
At around 10pm, Kate McCann went on her own to check her
children. She came back to the restaurant in tears and told
us that Madeleine had disappeared. We all got up then and
went with her to see. They were all outside some having gone
to the apartment to check if in fact Madeleine had
disappeared, it having been confirmed. The twins carried on sleeping. They didn't move.
The interviewee has nothing else to add. After reading with
the interpreter, who explains to her, she goes on and signs.
The interviewee remembers Kate having said that one
of the windows facing to the front of the apartment was
found open with the shutter raised. The
couple had never opened the shutters during their stay.
After
this they began to search and called the police.
Signed
RM
Inspector
Carvalho and F.M da C.S.
