Stilwell’s
Stand Storm
Isabel Stilwell, writer, journalist speaking of the
McCann case in 2009
Stilwell:-
“The second one is
related to the role, that former PJ
investigator Gonçalo Amaral has been playing.
It sincerely shocks me
that both the Republic’s prosecutor and the PJ director keep their silence,
while a former officer, who was removed from the case, makes absolute accusations, almost as if he was the
Portuguese police’s spokesman.”
End
McCann v Amaral libel trial September 2013
Maria Isabel Stilwell takes
the Stand as witness for the McCanns.
She states that she has
previously met Kate McCann, interviewed her in 2011 when Kate was promoting her
book ‘Madeleine.’
She further states for the Court that she does not know Dr Goncalo Amaral a defendant in the case but knows of him, that she has had no dealing with either him or any of the other defendants.
The Judge Maria Emilia Melo e Castro asks Stilwell
if her public controversial position concerning Dr Goncalo Amaral will influence her
testimony.
Isabel Stilwell replied:
That her conscience tells
her ‘no’ but
then adds she hopes it will not.
Stilwell was questioned by Isabel Duarte the lawyer for the McCanns, and the defence lawyers also.
Duarte was first up!
The McCann lawyer, Isabel
Duarte, when questioning Isabel Stilwell, and only ‘three
questions in’ – when a comment made in reply by Stilwell was being overruled by the Judge.
Seven questions ‘in’ and Dr Goncalo Amaral’s lawyer lodged an objection –
Stilwell he says exhibits a hostile demeanor towards
his client Dr Amaral.
In response, the Judge
ruled that the questions by Isabel Duarte the McCann lawyer be more
objective.
Fourteen questions in, and the Judge once again has to
over-rule the question and answers
given by the two Isabel’s, Isabel Duarte lawyer for the McCanns, and Isabel
Stilwell the witness for the McCanns.
Question 15 - by Isabel Duarte and
the reply by Isabel Stilwell has Dr Goncalo Amaral’s lawyer raising an
objection.
Again the Judge concurs with Dr Santos de Oliveira, Dr Goncalo
Amaral’s lawyer.
Question 16 by Isabel Duarte the
McCann lawyer is over-ruled by the Judge.
Isabel Stilwell interrupts
the Judge, her decision to over-rule!
1ST Defence Lawyer to question Stilwell, asks but 4
questions.
The Judge over-rules on one
but that doesn’t stop Stilwell, she re-sumes where she had left off in her
narrative.
2nd Defence
Lawyer to question Stilwell.
Two questions have been asked when the Judge intervenes to point out that
the case (missing Madeleine investigation) was shelved due to lack of evidence.
Five questions were asked by this defence lawyer their content causing
Stilwell to reply loudly and express vehemently what rights she felt Dr Goncalo
Amaral was entitled to, or not as was the
case in this instance.
Fifth question and Stilwell did not allow the lawyer to finish speaking before interrupting once more, her temperament at this time – rendering her difficult
to understand.
3rd Defence Lawyer
His first question to Stilwell – Stilwell replies, and
the Judge intervenes to remind the witness (Stilwell)
this is a judgement and not to be sarcastic by entering into such minute detail.
The third question to Stilwell, and she does not allow
the lawyer to finish, again interrupting…
Question Six by the defence lawyer, and Stilwell replies by
asking the lawyer - ‘what has that got to do with the issue?’
The Judge over rules the
question by the witness, Stilwell, and
observes that Stilwell is continuously
attempting to give meaning to what she says.
Stilwell now interrupts
the Judge and protests.
Question Seven and once again Stilwell
interrupts, not allowing the lawyer to finish…
Dr Santos Oliveira, Dr Goncalo
Amaral’s lawyer now questions Isabel Stilwell
S. Oliveira - Are your opinions
only based on news?
I. Stilwell - says "not only". She mentions TV programs, books.
S. Oliveira - Have you read all
the Final Report?
I. Stilwell - says "no".
S. Oliveira - Are you aware that
the Final Report indicates the child to be most likely dead?
I. Stilwell - says she is.
S. Oliveira - Since this hypothesis exists in the Final Report, the book...
I. Stilwell - interrupts
again saying the fact of death doesn't
mean that the parents are guilty.
The Judge –
The Final report DOESN’T SAY the homicide is due to the parents.
She reads this part from the Report:-
'No respeitante aos outros crimes indiciados não passam disso mesmo e
pese embora se nos afigurar não ser de descartar, dado o seu elevado grau de
probabilidade, a verificação dum homicídio, tal não pode passar de mera
suposição por carência de elementos de sustentação nos autos.'
'Concerning the other indicated crimes,
they are no more than that and despite our perception that, due to its high
degree of probability, the occurrence of a homicide cannot be discarded, such
cannot be more than a mere supposition, due to the lack of sustaining elements
in the files.'
S. Oliveira - But the
book doesn't say
that the homicide was due to the parents. If the
book doesn't say anything else that what's in the...
I. Stilwell - interrupts,
but in turn is immediately
interrupted by the Judge.
Judge - Let me do
this part!
Evidence ends.
End of day 4.
Before testifying
Maria Isabel Stilwell was asked by Judge Maria Emilia Melo e Castro if her public controversial position concerning Dr Goncalo Amaral will influence her testimony.
Stilwell replied:
That her conscience tells
her ‘no’ but
then adds she hopes it will not.
Stilwell either left her
conscience at home on this day or like the lawyers questioning her, it was
interrupted continuously while she demonstrated to one and all, that her public
and controversial position concerning Dr Goncalo Amaral she was not able to
keep under wraps, as it was indeed quite clearly influencing her testimony!
---
Full transcript of the Stilwell testimony brought to us by the brilliant Anne Guedes, who I for one cannot thank enough, and the equally brilliant Nigel Moore on
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id232.html
A huge thank you to you both!
****
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l-azzeri-lies-in-the-sun.com
28th September 2013