Madeleine McCann: Cops quiz British barmaid about her ex who lived near resort where toddler vanished in 2007
The Scotland Yard police recently questioned a British barmaid about her German ex-boyfriend, as part of their investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, the girl who vanished from a Portuguese holiday resort days before her fourth birthday in 2007.
Carol Hickman, 59, told Mirror that she was taken by surprise when two plain-clothed officers acting for Scotland Yard came into her workplace at Kelly’s Bar, just 450 meters from where McCann vanished on May 3, 2007. They asked her if she was still in contact with her former partner, Michael Jehle, 51, a German decorator who lives near Praia da Luz, the disappearance site. She was also asked if she had his phone number and social media contact.
“They came into the bar and said, ‘You can thank Her Majesty for this visit’. That’s when I knew they were from Scotland Yard. They asked if I could remember May 3, 2007. Of course, I remember. I was in the bar and we had a call from friends saying a little girl had vanished. We went out on the search and we were out all night," Hickman said.
She added that she had no clue that officers from the Portuguese Judicial Police were trying to trace her ex and another of his old flames, a German woman, till the authorities showed up at the bar two weeks ago and even interrogated her at her home.
“They were asking about Madeleine and interested in my German ex-boyfriend. We were in an 18-month relationship, but at the time of Maddie’s disappearance hadn’t been together for years. There’s no reason to suspect him at all. I’m amazed I’m being asked about him. He was a friendly, hippy. I just find it so strange, the whole thing. The police asked if I had any contact numbers or if I was friends on Facebook, but I’m not," Hickman said
Jehle told the same publication that he had no idea that the police were talking to his ex-flame Hickman and that he did not have anything about McCann's disappearance.
"I don’t know anything about Maddie McCann," he said. “I lived in Praia da Luz for many years, then I moved. I don’t know why the police [are asking about Maddie]. Everybody knows me, about three months ago people called me and said police were looking for me."
He insisted that officers attempting to track him down had nothing to do with the three-year-old going missing.
“They were looking for me for another reason. I had to go to court because I had a problem with a friend. This was nothing to do [with Maddie]. [The police] know where I live, they have my phone number, they can call me. I was with Carol in 2004. It was only for one year. She works in Kelly’s Bar, she’s still a good friend of mine. I have another girlfriend now. I have had many girlfriends," he said.