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MADELEINE McCann prime suspect Christian Brueckner stole the toddler to sell her to a paedophile network, a witness has claimed.
Ex-pal Michael Tatschl, 50, told a court in Germany he suspected Brueckner wanted money.
Dan Charity
Dan Charity
PATatschl, who lived with the prime suspect, 47, at his lair near Praia da Luz, previously claimed: “I know Brueckner killed Madeleine McCann.”
In court today, Tatschl was asked if he still believed Brueckner stole Madeleine to sell her to a paedophile network.
The witness replied: “That was my suspicion because he wanted money.”
Tatschl said his suspicion had been the snatch was for a paedophile network operating in Morocco because it was “near by” to Portugal.
Maddie vanished on May 3, 2007, after her parents left her and her siblings sleeping in their apartment while they dined at a nearby tapas bar in Praia da Luz.
But the court heard today that the man who can pin her abduction on Brueckner is dying of cancer.
Helge Busching reported Brueckner to cops after the rapist told him “she didn’t scream” as they discussed the missing tot, a court heard.
He is considered the key witness by German prosecutors but now does “not have long” – potentially putting the McCann case in jeopardy.
Another key witness Manfred Seyferth has also been battling the disease.
Tatschl, 50, told Braunschweig Regional Court: “Helge buschig told me has intestinal cancer.
“He says he does not have long according to his diagnosis.”
“He said he got the diagnosis two or three months ago in a Germany in a hospital. He just said he didn’t want treatment and chemo or anything.”
The revelation comes amid a string of legal hold-ups from Brueckner’s defence team that have extended the current trial from June until October.
Meanwhile, the court heart today how Brueckner boasted about breaking into hotels where tourists were sleeping while he was naked, a court heard.
Tatschl told judges that Brueckner went into one accommodation where three teenage girls were asleep.
It comes as…
- Brueckner’s pal admits ‘biggest failure’ was not reporting him
- Van driven by Brueckner being probed by German FBI
- Suspect ‘boasted of kidnapping & sexually assaulting girl’
- Brueckner’s trial extended by three months
- He ‘carried out night raids at resort for YEARS’
He told Braunschweig regional court today: “Brueckner broke into houses, tourists houses, at night when they were not there.
“And he would even break in when they were sleeping and also if they were up on the first or second floors.”
He added: “He told me he once he went into a room when three teenage girls were sleeping and he wet in naked. A girl woke up and screamed aloud.”
The court the girls were woken by a mobile phone ringing and their father rushed in and chased him away, the court heard.
Brueckner escaped by leaping over a balcony.
Tatschl – who was in prison with Brueckner after they were caught stealing diesel together – added: “Brueckner told me about all his burglaries and how he did them. And he didn’t care if they were sleeping or not.”
He also told how the VW camper linked to the investigation into Brueckner snatching Maddie was used for stealing other goods around Praia da Luz just months before she disappeared.
Key dates in Madeleine McCann's disappearance
MADELEINE McCann vanished on May 3, 2007 - and cops believe Brueckner could have been behind her disappearance.
Almost 17 years on, no one has been charged in connection. These are the key dates:
May 3, 2007 – Kate McCann finds Madeleine missing at 10pm
May 14, 2007 – Property developer Robert Murat is named an “arguido” or formal suspect
August 31, 2007 – The McCanns launch libel action against Tal e Qual – a newspaper that claimed the couple killed Madeleine
September 7, 2007 – Kate and Gerry McCann are made “arguidos”
September 9, 2007– Madeleine’s parents return to England with their two-year-old twins
October 2, 2007– Lead detective Goncalo Amaral is taken off the case after criticising British police in a newspaper interview
July 21, 2009 – Portuguese police lift the “arguido” status of both Robert Murat and the McCanns
May 12, 2011 – On Madeleine’s eighth birthday, Scotland Yard launches a review into the case
April 25, 2012 – Scotland Yard officers say they believe Madeleine McCann is still alive
July 4, 2013 – Two years into a review of the case, Scotland Yard launched its own investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance
October 24, 2013– Portuguese police reopen their case after new lines of inquiry are found
November 27, 2013 – Met Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe called for British and Portuguese police to work together
October 28, 2015 – Scotland Yard reduces the number of officers working on Madeleine’s disappearance
March 11, 2017 – The Home Office grants Operation Grange an extra £85,000 to continue from April until September
September 28, 2017 – British police are granted £154,000 to keep the probe going until March 2018
November 2017 – Cops moved the search to Bulgaria
May 2018 – Another round of funding, thought to be in the region of £150,000 is granted
September 2018 – An extra six months of funding is requested from the Home Office
November 2018 – More funding, thought to be in the region of £150,000 is granted
November 2018 – UK police re-examine a theory Madeleine left the apartment to look for her parents
June 2019 – Another round of funding, believed to be £300,000 of government cash is granted
June 2019 – Portuguese police are probing a “new clue and suspect” after talks with British officers
June 2020 – New prime suspect revealed as a German paedo Christian Brueckner
April 2022 – Brueckner formally made an “arguido”
May 2023 – Police search remote Algarve reservoir Brueckner called his “little paradise”
He told the court: “After two months I met Brueckner again. He was in his VW bus and then we used to steal solar panels.”
Tatschl told the court Brueckner had two different ‘stash holes’ at his farmhouse outside Praia da Luz – and kept up to 500 passports he had stolen in one of them.
He said: “I don’t know what he kept in the other.”
He added: “Brueckner was really, really scared that the police would go into his house and find his stashes.”
The witness told how Brueckner bragged to him when they were in prison together about raping a girl as young as 13.
He said: “I found out about his attack on the girl in prison. Brueckner was boasting about what one could do.”
The attack refers to a girl who was tied-up and whipped then raped repeatedly by Brueckner.
Tatschl also told the court Brueckner had two different ‘stash holes’ at his farmhouse outside Praia da Luz – and kept up to 500 passports he had stolen in one of them.
He said: “I don’t know what he kept in the other.”
‘BRUECKNER SCARED’
He added: “Brueckner was really, really scrared that the police would go into his house and find his stashes.”
Tatschl said there was “sado-masochistic” material lying around at Brueckner’s lair when he stayed there.
He said: “There was sado-masochistic stuff there, whips and handcuffs just lying around in the living room.
“There was a long whip, with various bits of leather attached to it. It was 30 to 40 centimetres long. And he had a girlfriend who visited him.”
He added: “Then there was one day a black balaclava made out of wool in the living room too.
“I think they were on the desk next to the computer. It was obvious what it was for – people only wear them in winter.”
The drifter faces a string of rape and sex crimes, uncovered during the investigation into missing Maddie.
He denies the offences. Trial continues.
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