Madeleine McCann suspect Christian B served two jail sentences for crimes in Portugal, prosecutors confirm

PORTUGEUSE prosecutors have confirmed Madeleine McCann suspect Christian B served two jail sentences in the country.

It was reported last week that the 43-year-old had served time in Portugal, but authorities have now revealed his criminal record.

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Last night prosecutors took the unusual step of confirming Christian B had been convicted of “disobedience” and “theft”.

A spokesman for the Faro District of the Portuguese Public Prosecution Service said: “In the last few days, several news articles have been published linking the German national suspected of involvement in Madeleine McCann’s disappearance to other court cases that took place in the Faro district.

“In order to clarify the matter, the Public Ministry has been examining its records and has so far managed to collect the following information.

“The Maddie suspect was convicted of disobedience in one case and of theft in another.

“Five requests for international judicial cooperation were also found in which the name of the suspect is mentioned.

“One of the requests is related to a case actioned against unknown people and closed in February 2006, and four related to the investigation into Madeleine McCann’s disappearance.”

Local media had reported that the 43-year-old spent two months in Evora Prison, in central Portugal, and nine months in jail in the Algarve for petrol theft in 2006.

POLICE APPEAL

It comes as investigators asked British tourists to come forward with information.

Hans Christian Wolters, a German prosecutor, pleaded with Brits who visited Praia da Luz between 1995 and 2007 to contact police with evidence.

He told the BBC: “We have evidence against the accused which leads us to believe that he really killed Madeleine but this evidence is not strong enough at the moment to take him to court.”

Mr Wolters said that while the evidence is “strong enough to say that the girl is dead and strong enough to accuse a specific individual of murder”, cops need more information from the public.

He added: “One has to be honest and remain open to the possibility that our investigation could end without a charge, that it ends like the others have.

“We are optimistic it will be different for us but for that we need more information.”

Cops are currently probing new satellite pictures of Christian B’s campervan seen days after she vanished.

A Spanish investigator spent days scouring old satellite imagery, and sent a picture to German police and Scotland Yard which could show the roof of the suspect’s VW Westfalia T3 van parked near his former home in Praia da Luz.

The image could prove crucial, suggesting the van was taken back to land Christian B was familiar with.