Madeleine McCann star witness DOESN’T recognise Christian B as mystery man carrying toddler on night she vanished
A KEY Madeleine McCann witness who may have seen the youngster being snatched in her pyjamas does not recognise new chief suspect Christian B.
Former business executive Martin Smith and his family made a statement to cops saying they saw a man carrying a young pyjama-clad girl the night the toddler vanished in 2007.
Martin, his wife and two kids were holidaying in Portugal at the same time as the McCanns and claim they saw a man aged around 35 to 40 with a youngster in pink and white PJs down a quiet street around 150m from the beach near the complex where Maddie was staying.
Irishman Martin, made a statement along with his wife Mary, daughter Aoife and son Peter saying the man they saw was Caucasian and around 5ft 7in to 5ft 9in in height.
He helped compiled an e-fit of the man in 2008 but the image was not made public until 2013.
But when asked if Christian B fitted the man he saw, Martin told the Sunday World: “I cannot add to the statement I gave police six years ago. This all happened 13 years ago.
“I have seen the pictures and coverage this week (of Christian B) but everything I could say I said in my statement to police. I don’t recognise this man.”
Martin added he has not heard from German investigators and officers from the Met had not been touch.
The reported sighting by the Smiths was at around 10pm on May 3, 2007 and was later labelled ‘The Smith Sighting’.
It was less than 300 metres from the resort where the McCanns were staying and the man was heading to the beach 150 metres away.
Martin and family members who were interviewed stated that they went to bar before leaving at around 10pm.
As the group made their way back to their apartment, several noticed a man walking down the middle of the street, Rua 25 de Abril, carrying a girl, about three or four years old.
The child seen had blonde hair, according to descriptions given, and her skin was very fair.
At the time, the family thought little about it, and headed home the following day.
At the time, local officers were focused on another sighting of a man near Kate and Gerry McCann’s holiday apartment .
Martin and his family’s e-fit was compiled by private detectives in September 2008.
In 2012 Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood from the Met said for years the Smiths’ sighting had been seen as “wrong place, wrong time” by investigators and was deemed unimportant.
But now Christin B has been identified as a prime suspect in Maddie’s disappearance, it is likely Martin may be interviewed again by authorities.
It has now emerged Christian B left Portugal days after Madeleine McCann vanished on May 3, 2007, to set up an illegal drugs network.
A European Arrest Warrant revealed he fled back to Germany to sell cannabis bought with cash and gems stolen on the Algarve.
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He was known to be driving a vehicle matching the description of his Tiffin Allegro motorhome when Madeleine disappeared.
Christian B is serving time for drugs charges but has applied to be released early after completing two-thirds of his sentence.
He was separately found guilty of raping a 72-year-old American woman in Praia da Luz in 2005 and jailed for seven years but has appealed against the sentence.