Local family?s anguish over ?Maddy? sighting
Madeleine (4) vanished on May 3rd last while her family were on holiday in the Portuguese resort of Praia Da Luz.
The Drogheda family, who first spoke to the Drogheda Indpendent last August, say despite current media reports that they will be contacted by the detective agency hired by parents Gerry and Kate McCann to find the missing toddler, no one has been in contact with them.We are willing to talk to anyone but our information is vague. It cuts us up that we can?t be of more help but what we saw is not going to crack the case,? Peter Smith told the Drogheda Independent.
The Drogheda family, Peter, his wife Sheila and their two children Tadgh (13) and Cole (6), along with grandparents Martin and Mary Smith, were holidaying in the same resort at the time of Madeleine?s disappearance.
Returning from a night out the family saw a sleeping child in the arms of a man, on the night the toddler was taken from her parents apartment.It was our last night. We left the restaurant early because my wife, who was expecting our third child at the time was feeling unwell. On the way back to our apartment we saw a man walking down towards the beach with a child in his arms. It?s a common enough sight in a holiday resort and we didn?t think much of it. In fact it was only after we were home two weeks that I remembered seeing him. At the time my attention was focused on looking after my wife,? Peter, who lives in Greenhills, explained. When I mentioned it, it jogged my father?s memory and he too remembered seeing the same man,? Peter added.
The family made a statement to the Gardaí who then contacted the Portuguese police.About three to four weeks after Madeleine disappeared we travelled back to Portugal and gave a description of the man in a statement to the police there,? said Peter.
Since then the family have heard nothing, from either the Portuguese police or the detectives agency Metodo 3, hired by her family to find MadeleineWe knew that what we had seen was so vague that we couldn?t identify the guy. However we are willing to help in any way that we can if we are contacted,? the Drogheda man stressed.
