CHAPTER 52

APPENDIX A


UPDATED FROM Chapter 46 –  Jon Clarke Through the Looking Glass


There are five separate details of his initial involvement which Clarke changes ad libitum.

  • Time of the initial phone call
  • Time of his arrival in PdL
  • Number of journalists present on his arrival
  • Entry to Apartment 5A
  • Speaking to the McCanns


And there are now at least Sixteen sources of ‘information’.    Many are written by Clarke or were clearly under his editorial control.  All are different.

  • Article Olive Press 2008. 
  • Article Olive Press 2017  
  • Article Olive Press 2019. 
  • Interview with Sandra Felguerias within the Netflix transcript. 2019
  • Netflix publicity 2019 
  • Netflix Documentary - transcript 2019.
  • Article CLOSER Magazine 2020.  
  • Article BELLA Magazine 2021.   
  • My Search For Madeleine” - Book by Jon Clarke 2021. 
  • Article ABC - JJ Madueño, but clearly written or dictated by Clarke Oct 2021 
  • Article ABC - JJ Madueño, amended version Oct 2021
  • Muckrack entry - JJ Madueño Oct 2021
  • Interview for Ex-pat Radio Channel  Sept 2021
  • Interview for Sat.1, German  31 Jan 2022
  • Article CLOSER Magazine online – May 2022.  
  • ‘i’ newspaper - May 2022




  • Time of the initial phone call

0630   – Book (estimated from ‘left before 7, after ablutions and cup of tea and saying goodbye . . .’

0715.  – Olive Press 2017

0700-0730. – Olive Press 2019

0700-0730.  – Sandra Felguiras Interview

0700-0730. – Netflix Transcript

approx 2000 Thursday 3/5/7. – calculated from time of arrival in article in ABC

approx 2000 Thursday 3/5/7. – calculated from time of arrival in Muckrack entry




  • Time of his arrival in PdL

Noon (1200). “been there since noon;  …. some 15 hours after Madeleine disappeared” – Olive Press 2008

1145 (or 1045)  [NB: 1145 may be Spanish time, 1045 Portuguese time] – Olive Press 2017.  

0945-1015. Book

0130.  – Article in ABC (1st version as printed)

“That same night” = 3/5/7.  – Article in ABC (2nd version as printed)

0930   (This is arrival “at the scene”.  0130 is given as arrival in PdL)   Article in ABC (both versions).

0130  – Muckrack entry

‘just hours after” –  Closer online 2022

12 hours after Madeleine’s disappearance  – The ‘i’ paper



Available Independent Evidence:   

Video film exists, was shown across the world, and is preserved on YouTube showing that Clarke was in PdL by 0945, and was already and by then familiar with the scene and with some GNR officers, with whom he is observed shaking hands as he leaves the group of journalists outside the stairwell serving apartment 5H.


  • Number of journalists present on his arrival

Not stated.   – Olive Press 2008

Only reporter – ‘till late that evening, – apart from Kate/Kay Burley …’   – Olive Press 2017

First journalist        – Olive Press 2019

First UK Print Journalist.   – Netflix Publicity

One of the first Journalists.  – Closer magazine 2020

First British Journalist.  – Book

‘First British Journalist under contract to a British Newspaper’ ( paraphrase) – Expat radio interview

First journalist – Closer online 2022

One of the first Journalists.  – The ‘i’ paper 2022


Available Independent Evidence:   

Video film exists, was shown across the world, and is preserved on YouTube showing Clarke in PdL at 0945, speaking to and sharing notes with the group of five other journalists outside the stairwell serving apartment 5H.


Video also exists and is preserved on YouTube of British Journalist Len Port, an ex-pat who lives just along the coast in Portugal, walking round within the Ocean Club complex, by the pool towards the Tapas bar.

Port reports having arrived at 0830.  The length and the orientation of the shadows of the palm trees round the pool confirm this time.





  • Did Clarke Enter Apartment 5A ?


NO MENTION. – Olive Press 2008

YES – “I was firstly able to walk into the apartment.”  – Olive Press 2017

NO –  “It wouldn’t have been difficult to walk in… It wasn’t Fort Knox “ – Olive Press 2019

NO –  “It [the tape or the prohibition] went up and I looked in.”  – Netflix transcript

YES – “up the short flight of stairs to the apartment. I walked in the front [sic] door.”     Book

YES – “I crossed, knocked on the door and the parents came out.”  – ABC - both versions

NO –  “went straight up to the apartment “  [? 5H  ?] –   Expat radio interview

NO –  That evening I saw the parents up close for the first time…”.  SAT.1 interview

NO –  “I could literally walk… Thankfully I had the good sense not to try.”    – The ‘i’ paper



Available Independent Evidence:   

The McCanns moved out of Apartment 5A in the early hours of the morning and the scene was sealed after initial photographs were taken.  They spent the rest of that night with the Paynes in Apartment 5H, variously “keeping vigil” (Kate), or sleeping (Gerry) whilst hundreds of residents and holiday makers supervised by Police searched the entire resort for several hours.

The relevant piece in Kate McCann’s book “madeleine” makes it quite clear that they did not return to 5A that day.


The ExPat radio interview is capable of being interpreted as a visit by Clarke to Apartment 5H, the Payne’s apartment, and speaking to a third party who relayed the message and the answer to and from the McCanns.  On Clarke’s admissions the information gained seems to have been “Madeleine”,  and “Thanks”.




  • Did Clarke speak to the McCanns, and if so, when ?

NO MENTION.     – Olive Press 2008

YES - “In the apartment”.     – Olive Press 2017

YES - “as they were leaving.”     – Olive Press 2019

POSSIBLY – “I think I tried to speak to them [sic]”      – Netflix Transcription

YES –  “a few hours after arriving;  later that day”  – Closer Magazine

YES – “at a press conference that night”.  – Bella Magazine

YES – “in the apartment”. – Book

YES – “that same night (Thursday 3/5/7).  – ABC both version

YES –  “I … knocked on the door and the parents came out”.  ABC both versions

NO (or YES via third party) “I asked, yer know, could I speak to the parents . . . they just told me the name . .

And, yer know, I said who I was and from the Mail and I would do my best to help, and they were like

“thanks” and that was that.    So I didn’t, I can’t say I really interviewed them.    Expat Radio interview

NO – “That evening I saw the parents up close for the first time and realised how traumatised they were and how much they were grieving.”  [from German]  SAT.1 interview

NO MENTION –   The ‘i’ paper


Available Independent Evidence:   

The Senior crime correspondent for Sky News, Martin Brunt was in PdL for 10 days.  During that time he admits he did not manage to speak to the McCanns


Clarke clearly states during the ExPat Radio interview that he did not interview the McCanns.

The implication from the SAT.1 interview is also clear.