Madeleine McCann's parents brace for Christian Brueckner verdict as German court prepares to announce ruling on suspect's sex crimes trial

The parents of Madeleine McCann are bracing this week arsenic the premier fishy successful their daughter's disappearance, Christian Brueckner, faces the verdict successful his proceedings connected abstracted enactment crimes charges.

Brueckner, 47, arrived successful tribunal for the closing stages of his proceedings this morning, with the justice expected to present a verdict tomorrow. 

Warmly greeting his three-man ineligible team, Brueckner - dressed successful the aforesaid airy bluish overgarment and open-necked garment helium has worn since the commencement of proceedings 8 months agone - sat down to perceive intently arsenic his main lawyer Friedrich Fulscher opened his closing statement astatine the courthouse successful Braunschweig.

Convicted rapist and paedophile Brueckner was sensationally named arsenic the premier fishy successful the 2007 disappearance of Madeleine successful June 2020 by German constabulary but since past nary charges person been brought.

He is presently connected proceedings accused of 3 rapes and 2 kid enactment maltreatment cases betwixt 2000 and 2017 successful Portugal adjacent to the edifice of Praia da Luz connected the Algarve, from wherever Madeleine vanished portion connected vacation with parents Kate and Gerry McCann.

Last week authoritative Ute Lindemann argued helium should beryllium jailed for 15 years – labelling him a 'sadistic psychopath'.

In July the prosecution was dealt a important stroke aft the existent proceedings justice ruled that grounds against him successful the existent proceedings was 'insufficient', which has been wide interpreted arsenic meaning helium could beryllium acquitted.

Mr Fulscher opened his statement by saying the 'trial should ne'er person taken place' and went connected to question the reliability of the witnesses involved.

He added: 'We are present to determine astir the state and destiny of a person, Christian Brueckner.

'He is accused of 5 offences, but what truly happened does not lucifer what is claimed.

'This is wherefore it is erstwhile the prosecution loses affectional region from the case. This proceedings should ne'er person taken place.

'If it was immoderate different person, past connected the ground of this grounds the proceedings would ne'er person travel to trial.'

Sources adjacent to Brueckner's ineligible squad person told MailOnline they expect a verdict arsenic aboriginal arsenic Tuesday successful the case.

If helium is cleared it means helium could beryllium released adjacent twelvemonth from the seven-year situation condemnation helium was fixed successful 2019 for raping an aged American pistillate successful the Algarve.

That would person immense consequences connected German prosecutors who privation to pin Madeleine's disappearance connected him – they besides assertion to person 'concrete evidence' that she has died but person truthful acold not disclosed immoderate details.

It is imaginable that prosecutors could use for Brueckner to beryllium held successful 'preventative custody' if helium is cleared of the existent charges which volition springiness them clip to stitchery much impervious successful the Madeleine case.

During the existent trial, Brueckner's erstwhile cellmate Laurentiu Codin told the tribunal that helium had 'confessed' to him helium had erstwhile abducted a kid successful Portugal.

Codin told the hearing:' He was looking for money. He said helium didn't find immoderate wealth but recovered a kid and took the child.

'He said that 2 hours later, determination were constabulary and dogs each implicit the place, truthful helium past went away, retired of the area.

'He said that helium took the kid successful Portugal successful his car, and successful the clip erstwhile the constabulary and dogs were astatine the house, helium drove distant and helium was gone.

'He asked maine if the DNA from a kid tin beryllium taken from bones nether the ground.'

Also cardinal to the existent lawsuit – and that of Madeleine's disappearance – are 2 ace witnesses Helge Busching and Manfred Seyferth, erstwhile partners successful transgression with Brueckner.

They assertion to person recovered a video successful Brueckner's location successful Portugal showing him masked and raping 2 women though the clip has ne'er been discovered and defence lawyers person questioned its existence.

Busching besides claims that Brueckner told him astatine a festival successful Spain a twelvemonth aft Madeleine vanished that it was 'strange she didn't scream' which investigators besides assertion is captious to the lawsuit and helium adjacent told Scotland Yard astir it successful 2018.

Met serviceman Mark Draycott testified to the tribunal successful May however Busching had contacted them and helium had been quizzed successful large secrecy successful Athens astir his claims aft helium was released from a Greek situation for radical trafficking.

But again his defence squad person poured scorn onto the claims suggesting Busching made up the account.