Fiona Payne Statement 4th May 2007

Fiona Elaine Payne
Date: 2007.05.04

Time: 19H20

She comes to the process as a witness, and as part of the group that travelled to Portugal with the parents of Madeleine. She is married to David, who also travelled to Portugal.

She has known the girl’s parents, Gerard (sic) and Kate, for about seven years. She got to know them through Kate when they worked together. It was also at this time that she got to know her [Kate’s] husband in social settings.
She knows that the couple has three children, twins who are two years of age and Madeleine, who was almost four years old.
Comment: twins spoken in present tense , Madeleine in past.

The witness has two children, of the female sex, who are two and one years old respectively. The idea of travelling to Portugal came from her husband David who had already been to Portugal about 11 years ago, before she got to know him.

She arrived in Portugal on the 28th April, at around 12H00, leaving from Leicestershire, and arriving at Faro and then on to Praia da Luz. From Faro, she arrived at the Ocean Club via mini bus taken from the airport. After check-in she was lodged in apartment G5H with her family (husband, mother and two daughters).

As regards the next days, she says that in the morning, after breakfast, which the family would eat in the club bar around 08H15/08H30

 ( Once again the breakfast , part of the OC package deal). Who would turn away a free breakfast already paid for?)

they would then put their children in the club crèche, in different areas. During this time, the witness and her husband would go swimming and practice other sports on the beach, which was around 8 minutes distance on foot. Around 12H30/13H00 they would go to get the children from the crèche and would have lunch in the apartment, at times with other children. Immediately afterwards her children would take a nap, whilst the witness and her husband stayed in the apartment. Around 15H30/16H00 the children would wake up from their nap and all of them would head towards the pool zone or the tennis court where they would stay until around 18H00/19H00. They would then return to the apartment, would bathe the children, put them to sleep and would go and meet with the rest of the group, to have dinner. All the adults would meet in the Tapas restaurant located close to the club.

During dinner, as they were in a possession of a “baby monitor”, they did not go to the apartment to check on their children and would only do so if they heard any strange noises or crying.

 Yesterday they slightly altered their routine, they went to the beach with the children and her mother Dianne. They arrived there around 15H45 and left at 18H15, and headed towards the tennis court until about 19H00. Immediately afterwards, the witness headed towards the apartment with her children, and her mother. Ten minutes later her husband David appeared. In the apartment her mother, helped by her husband David, bathed the children whilst the witness went jogging on the beach until around 20H00. Afterwards, she returned to the apartment and got ready. She left around 20H45, accompanied by David and her mother, in order to meet the rest of the group in the Tapas restaurant.

During dinner, amongst other friends present was the McCann couple—Madeleine’s parents.

When questioned she says that she did not go to the club, neither did her husband, to check on the children as she possessed a baby monitor, as previously mentioned. However, she states that Gerald and Kate went with regularity, as did the other couples to ensure that their children were well. On one of these occasions, upon returning, Kate, very scared and nervous, in a panic, told them in the restaurant that Madeleine had gone missing, screaming and frightened.

Comment: Fiona at no time mentions Jane was not at the table, Jane claims she was in her apartment when she heard the news about Madeleine.

 Immediately, they organised search groups, either in the apartment thinking that she could be hidden, or outside, which resulted in nothing, even with the help of the employees.
Due to Kate’s highly anxious state, she decided to stay with her, giving her all support she needed.

She was never in Madeleine’s family apartment.

She knew Madeleine well and describes her as very intelligent and she would not go with stranger without screaming or protesting unless she was very tired or sleeping.

Comment:  So what is Fiona saying she would go with a stranger if she was very tired ?

As regards the episode with Jane—she [Jane] only told her that she had seen an individual with a child in his arms, not knowing if it was Madeleine


 Comment : Fiona does not mentions jeans, or length of hair.

During this holiday period she never noticed anything strange or relevant to the facts in question.
She has no other elements to offer the investigation.

No more was said.

Reads, ratifies, signs.

Source : Pamalam