SYKES' TAKE ON - GUILTY VERDICT LEAVES EX-COP HOIST BY HIS OWN PETARD, AND HIS FANS WRIGGLING IN DESPAIR

Yesterday a verdict was handed down in a Portuguese court over a case brought against an ex-policeman by the British parents of a missing child.  In this verdict the loser was found guilty of deliberate and malicious libel.  Substantial financial penalties were imposed with additional court and interest costs.    The verdict was blazoned across the UK and Portuguese press, discussed this morning on the BBC World Services' review of the papers segment and has been picked up as far as the South China News.  Back on what I would describe as the 'War Front' the anti-McCanns are spinning like demented tops to try and diffuse the harm this verdict has done to their Beloved Leader.   The screaming and screeching reached incredible sound decibels as they 'retrenched' with more and more desperate refusals to accept what has happened.   One well-known arbiter of news, whose favorite expression was 'they are toast', has posted up that he has had an unfortunate accident with his nether garments and has retreated into his cave - I assume brown is the color of the day!   They have their heads so far up where the sun don't shine that it would be highly comical if it wasn't so bl**dy sad.  The Beloved Leader must appeal, they cry, while pausing in the collective carpet-chewing and head on wall banging that has been going on ad nauseum.   Have they forgotten, or are refusing to remember, that his assets and part of his pension were frozen some time ago?   Do they not realise that, if he tries, as before, to obfuscate proceedings, the interest on the unpaid fine will compound, possibly on a daily basis?  And, as suggested by his deluded flock, he should attempt to get a new lawyer, who would want to sip from this particular poisoned chalice?  Maybe there is an unscrupulous law practitioner with an eye to making an easy buck or two who might oblige, but I doubt any genuine lawyer would even consider it, one's reputation is a strong incentive to back away from lost causes.  If Amaral had any sense, which I doubt, he would accept defeat and pay up.  And what of his acolytes?  Well, now, there is something called' guilt by association' so one would assume that anyone continuing to repeat the libel might also find themselves 'up before the Beak'.  By the way, the book, banned then unbanned, is now banned again as are any dvds/films and for each and every transgression against the recalls/destruction there will be a hefty fine imposed.