Paul Anthony Gordon Statements
Processos Vol XV
Pages 3984 – 3986
Surname: Gordon
Forenames: Paul Anthony
Occupation: Marketing Manager
Statement Date: 06-05-2007
On Saturday 21st April 2007, I went on holiday with my wife and two children to Portugal. We went to an area of the Algarve called Praia da Luz and stayed at the Mark Warner Ocean Club Resort.
Our apartment was a two-bedroomed ground floor one, which was situated in block G. The room number was 5ª.
To the front of the property was a bedroom and a kitchen, and to the rear was another bedroom and lounge. Myself and my wife shared the rear bedroom and the two children had the room to the front.
From the rear bedroom and lounge you can access a private balcony.
From the balcony are approximately ten steps down to a gate and small enclosed patio area. This area is exclusive to the apartment and not used by other residents.
Running parallel to the patio area was a footpath and on the other side of this was a swimming pool and Tapas restaurant. I am quite sure, from seeing recent news events, that this is the same apartment that a young girl has recently gone missing from.
During our stay at the apartment on either Wednesday 25th April or Thursday 26th April, I was sun-bathing alone on the patio area.
My wife and children were in the apartment and I know that the children were sleeping.
At approximately 14.30 hours (I know it was around this time as the children always slept between 13.00 and 15.00 hours and it was nearly time to get them up) I was approached by an unknown male.
He came to the light green barred gate which leads to the road running adjacent to the apartment. I can’t remember exactly how he initiated conversation, but he introduced himself and started to explain that he had permission to be on site in order to collect money for either a charity or project.
I went over to where he stood, and he explained some more.
I remember him making reference to the fact that he was only allowed to collect for one week of the year (or something about one week) and that the money would go towards the orphanage.
I got the impression that the orphanage was not nearby. I got the distinct impression that I was being had over, but gave the man ten Euros just to get rid of him. He was perfectly polite and good-natured and showed me some sort of identification. I didn’t look closely at this, but saw there was a photograph of him on it and possibly his name. I am sure the photograph was of the same male, but he had a “goatee” beard in the photo which he no longer had.
The man also had with him, a pad of paper (perhaps a clip board) and an old looking brochure of some sort. He also had a receipt book, which he filled in when I gave him the money. He gave me a receipt, but I know (sic) longer have it. All in all, I stayed chatting to the man for about 5-10 minutes. I had to go inside during this time to get the money for him but was only gone for a few seconds.
Once this meetings had finished, the male walked of (sic) down the hill towards the supermarket and I went into the apartment.
I would describe the male as Portuguese looking, very tanned, medium build and about 5ft 7” to 5ft 10” tall.
He looked between 40 and 45 years old and spoke really good English with a foreign accent.
He had short dark black hair with possibly some grey around the sides.
His hair was not perfectly straight and I would imagine that should he have grown it longer, then it would be wavy.
He had no facial hair and I’m quite sure that he wasn’t wearing glasses.
He had a few wrinkles on his face and was quite presentable. He was wearing a light blue or green pale polo shirt with short sleeves. It was plain and had no logos or writing on it. I believe he was wearing light tan coloured trousers and dark brown shoes.
I think they were slip – ons. I had never seen this man before that date, and I did not see him again. I am confident that I would recognise him, should I see him again. I have produced a map of the apartment and surrounding area which I can now produce as my exhibit, PAG/01. I am willing to attend court if need be and will support any police action.
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Cartas Rogatorias Vol V
Page 39
Witness Statement
Statement from: Paul Anthony Gordon
Date: 1st May 2008
Signature.
Following my statement made on 24th April 2008 I was today given the opportunity to read my original statement, dated 6th May 2007. DC 1485 Messiah and DC 4064 Holliday from the Leicestershire police force were present.
After having read the statement I can confirm that the time when I saw the donation collector was about 14.30 to 15.00 and as I mentioned before the children would have a siesta in the apartment, generally between 13.00 and 15.00 every day.
I would say that I spoke to the individual before they woke up.
From memory I would say that happened on Wednesday or Thursday during our holidays in Praia da Luz in 2007.
This statement was made by me and is truthful according to my understanding.
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Questions from the Letter of Request:
VII – Interview to the adult users of the apartment (G5A) from which MADELEINE MCCANN went missing, who stayed there before 28th April (the date on which the
Page 111
MCCANNs arrived there). They should be subject to a buccal swab and hair sample collection (only the below UNDERLINED individuals :
* The FAWKES family, namely SIMON ANDREW , CLAIRE LOUISE AND daughter RUXX ELXXXXXXX, 62 EvXXXXXX LaXX, WOXXXXXXX, BEXXXXXXX, RGXX 4XX, UK.
* CARLOS DAMBROSIO and JUNE HUGHES, 53x MoXXXXXX DRXXX, Glasgow, GXX 1XX, UK.
* The GORDON family, namely PAUL ANTHONY, SALEIGH LOUISE and two children – CHXXXXX HAXXXXXX and JAXXXXX ISXXXX – 2 DaXXXXXXX, WIXXXXX, Hants, PXXX 6XX, UK.
The aforementioned persons should be asked the following questions :
* Did any incident happen during your stay at the apartment, i.e. was anyone injured or did anyone die ?
* Did you ever suffer theft or did any of your belongings disappear from the apartment ?
* Did you ever detect the presence of anyone strange inside or around your apartment ?
* Did the windows, as well as the doors and shutters close well ? Did you at any time detect whether any of these accesses to your apartment had been broken in ?
* How did you usually go into your apartment ?
* Was the sofa in the living-room – on the right side after entering through the patio door – leaning against the wall or a little away from it ? If it was away from the wall, how far ?
* Do you have any children ? Did you take them to Portugal with you ? Where did you and your children sleep ?
* Where did you usually take your meals, i.e. breakfast, lunch and dinner ?
* Did you ever leave your children alone ?
* Did you use the “Kids Club” service ?
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* Did you detect anything worth mentioning during your stay ?
* Any further questions deemed useful, necessary or pertinent in view of the previous replies.
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CARTAS ROGATORIAS (FILE 5)
Pages 36 to 38—Witness statement of Paul Anthony Gordon (former holidayer in Apartment 5 A) 2008.04.24
Not much time, this is a summarised translation:
Leicestershire Police Force
Witness Account
Statement by Paul Anthony Gordon
Occupation: Accountant
Date : 24th April 2008
I am married to Saleigh and we have two children, C…… aged three and J….. aged two.
We stayed in the same apartment that the McCanns would later stay in, apartment 5ª of the Ocean Club. We travelled to Faro on 21st April 2007.
On Wednesday the children were asleep in the apartment and Sal was reading inside.
I was in the garden when I heard a male voice say “Ola”.
I got up and went towards the man who asked me whether I was interested in making a donation to an orphanage. I talked to him and notice he had an ID label and what seemed to be a book of receipts. I thought he was either genuine or that it was a professional scam. I gave him 10 Euros and I think he gave me a receipt. At no time was he aggressive or persistent. I think he was genuine and it seemed to be a good cause.
There were no other incidents whilst we were in Portugal except that I cut myself whilst shaving in the bathroom. The cut bled for about 45 minutes. As far as I know, nobody else cut themselves in the apartment.
We felt safe in the apartment and were not robbed, neither did anything disappear.
The doors, windows and shutters were in perfect working order.
There was never any sign that that the doors, windows or shutters had been tampered with, but neither was there any need to check.
The front door had a double lock that was difficult to lock, but we managed.
The patio door could not be locked from the outside, only from the inside of the apartment and that is why we chose to use the front door when we left the apartment.
We used to open the shutters during the day and would close them again at night. The shutters made a lot of noise when we closed them. They have an internal cord as mechanism for opening and closing them.
We would generally have breakfast in the Millenium restaurant, we only dined at the Tapas Bar on two occasions. I remember there was a limit to how many times we could eat at the Tapas Bar.
I would like to add that since January of this year I have received numerous phone calls, messages and visits from the press with relation to the man collecting donations, which led to contact with other persons such as Brian Kennedy, Kate and Gerry McCann.
I feel this to be constricting and it is difficult for me to make a more certain decision.
I have always tried to collaborate with the police in every possible form, telephoning them at the first opportunity when the news broke about Madeleine’s disappearance.
There have been times when I have felt like a pawn in a chess game.
