Madeleine McCann suspect utters first words in court as he refuses last chance to defend himself

Christian Brueckner is connected proceedings successful Germany accused of raping women and exposing himself to children successful the Algarve. Today helium yet spoke contiguous erstwhile fixed 1 past accidental to support himself

Madeleine McCann fishy Christian Brueckner dramatically uttered his archetypal words successful tribunal contiguous arsenic helium refused a past accidental to support himself.

Convicted paedophile Brueckner, 47, is connected proceedings successful Germany accused of raping women and exposing himself to children successful the Algarve. The charges are unconnected to the long-running Madeleine case, which helium strenuously denies immoderate engagement in. Brueckner had remained soundless passim his eight-month proceedings astatine Braunschweig determination court.

But the German pervert yet spoke contiguous erstwhile fixed 1 past accidental to support himself. Asked by Judge Ute Engemann if determination was thing helium wanted to say, Brueckner replied softly: “No, I would not similar to.” The justice volition present her long-awaited verdict successful the lawsuit time morning.

Prosecutors argued past week that Brueckner should beryllium jailed for 15 years for the alleged crimes successful Portugal. But the justice ruled successful July the grounds against him was “insufficient” - a beardown denotation helium volition beryllium acquitted. Brueckner’s lawyer, Friedrich Fuelscher, insisted contiguous that his lawsuit should ne'er person been charged with vile enactment crimes.

Prosecutors person relied connected the grounds of Helge Busching, who claims to person seen videos of Brueckner raping 2 women. Busching besides tipped disconnected constabulary astir the German paedophile’s alleged engagement successful Madeleine’s disappearance. He claimed Brueckner told him “she didn’t scream” erstwhile they discussed the infamous lawsuit successful a Spanish bar.

But successful his closing code today, Mr Fuelscher slammed prima witnesser Busching. He branded him a liar, describing Busching arsenic “a busybody, a idiosyncratic who lies and tries to marque himself look important”. Mr Fuelscher told Braunschweig determination court: “There is nary grounds astatine each which supports what helium said. He has taken prosecutors for a ride.”

Brueckner sat motionless by his lawyer’s side, dressed successful the aforesaid grey blazer helium has worn passim the trial. Mr Fuelscher told judges: “We are sitting present to determine connected the state and destiny of a quality being. “This proceedings should ne'er person taken place. If it was immoderate different person, past connected the ground of the grounds it would ne'er person travel to trial. The time has agelong passed whereby we fastener distant radical based connected them and not their crime.”

He accused prosecutors of “trying to power the sentiment of the public”. Mr Fuelscher said the Madeleine lawsuit and the worldwide involvement successful Brueckner “lay similar a fog” implicit the trial. He branded the constabulary probe “amateurish”, saying helium was “shocked” astatine the sloppy enactment carried retired by detectives.

Mr Fuelscher pointed retired that 2 of Brueckner’s alleged rape victims had ne'er been traced. “You person to ask, however apt is it that radical who person suffered similar that would not person reported it?” helium said. “And yet the German authorities and constabulary enactment a batch of effort into researching this, and recovered nothing.”

Mr Fuelscher finished his code by thanking the tribunal for conducting a just proceedings “despite the worldwide media condemnation”. The German is suspected of abducting and sidesplitting three-year-old Madeleine successful Praia da Luz successful May 2007. He is presently serving a seven-year situation word for raping an American pensioner successful the Portuguese resort.

If Brueckner is cleared helium volition beryllium freed adjacent twelvemonth - which is simply a nightmare script for Madeleine investigators. Detectives look nary person to proving helium was down her disappearance - contempt claiming they person impervious she is dead. A not blameworthy verdict would summation the unit connected them to complaint Brueckner implicit Madeleine’s disappearance.

Prosecutors are expected to entreaty to a higher tribunal successful Germany if helium is cleared of the charges. A verdict could travel arsenic soon arsenic tomorrow. Brueckner is accused of carrying retired sickening crimes successful the Algarve betwixt 2000 and 2017. They see the alleged rape of Irish circuit rep Hazel Behan, who was attacked successful her Praia da Rocha flat successful 2004.

Mr Fuelscher said what happened to Hazel was “terrible”, saying she was “raped successful the astir brutal way”. “We person nary uncertainty astatine each that it happened,” helium added. “But tin it beryllium proven beyond a uncertainty that it was him? “The reply to this question for maine is intelligibly no.”

Brueckner is besides accused of raping a teenage pistillate successful his Praia da Luz location and raping an aged pistillate successful her vacation apartment. He faces a kid enactment complaint for allegedly exposing himself to a German miss connected a formation successful Salema successful April 2007. His last complaint relates to an alleged indecent vulnerability successful beforehand of an 11-year-old successful 2017.