Madeleine McCann suspect ‘was tipped off about British tourists leaving their apartment doors open while they dined out by an ‘inside man’ at Praia da Luz complex’
- Christian Brueckner was ‘friends’ with an Ocean Club employee in Praia da Luz
- Reports say suspect was ‘tipped off’ about British tourists leaving doors open
- Brueckner took 30 minute call before Madeleine McCann’s disappearance
The Madeleine McCann suspect was tipped off about British tourists leaving their apartment doors open while they dined out by an ‘inside man’ at the complex where they were staying, a Portuguese newspaper has claimed.
Christian Brueckner was said to be friends with an employee of the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz who told him apartments would be easy to break into as they were left open by the visitors.
It also claimed that police were able to pinpoint Brueckner’s phone in the area around the the apartment complex shortly before the three-year-old was snatched.
In their appeal for new witnesses Met Police from Operation Grange revealed that Brueckner took a 30 minute call on his mobile. They released the two numbers in the hope someone might recall having previously called them.
Christian Brueckner (right) was ‘tipped off about British tourists leaving their apartment doors open while they dined out by an inside man’ at complex where Madeleine McCann (left) was staying
Christian Brueckner was said to be friends with an employee of the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz who told him apartments would be easy to break into. Pictured: Ocean Club Tapas Bar
While one number was registered to Brueckner police have yet to trace who he called but revealed he was contacted from (+351) 916 510 683.
The number was registered to a man called Diogo Silva, which is a common name in Portugal
In a front page exclusive article The Correio da manha newspaper claims Brueckner only intended to steal valuables from the McCann’s apartment and was shocked to find three children sleeping inside.
It said he went into a ‘panic’ and grabbed the three-year-old – but does not say what happened to the child afterwards.
The Ocean Club in Praia Da Luz in the Algarve, Portugal, where Madeleine McCann went missing
The tapas bar at the Ocean Club in Praia Da Luz in the Algarve, Portugal, where Madeleine McCann’s parents dined on the night of her disappearance
German police have said they believe the toddler is dead while Met Police say they are still involved in a missing person inquiry.
Police in Portugal have not made any comment on the front page article.
All employees of then Mark Warner Ocean Club were interviewed extensively as part of the initial police investigation.
It is thought unlikely the employee – who has not been identified – would have willingly owned up to tipping off his ‘friend’ about apartments being easy prey for a burglar.
Brueckner was known to steal from hotel rooms and villas to supplement his income as a drug dealer on the Algarve.
Detectives believe Christian Brueckner, the latest main suspect in the McCann case, was living out of a German campervan in 2007
German prosecutors linked Brueckner to the 1994 disappearance of six-year-old boy René Hasse from the Algarve and the 2015 vanishing of five-year-old girl Ingra Gehricke
The newspaper claims an employee of the Ocean Club was found to have the 43 year old German’s mobile number stored on his phone.
The friend is alleged to have spoken Brueckner about a group of English visitors staying at the complex who would dine out every night.
Gerry and Kate McCann were in that group with the others becoming known as the ‘The Tapas Seven’ as they met up at a restaurant in the complex most nights.
The parents would take turns to return to the apartment complex to check on sleeping children – with both Gerry and Kate walking back to their ground floor flat on the night of May 7th 2007.
Kate discovered Madeleine was missing around 10pm and began searching for her missing daughter.