Christian Brueckner, the suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, “bragged about breaking into apartments” where the British girl went missing, a court has heard.
The 47-year-old is currently facing trial in the German city of Braunschweig - unrelated to Maddie, but which sees him accused of five counts of sexual assault in Portugal between 2000 and 2007.
Brueckner’s ex-partner told the German court that the 47-year-old said he snuck into properties in Portugal’s Algarve resort around the time that Maddie disappeared.
He allegedly wore a pair of tights over his head, accompanied by some goggles over the top, whilst breaking into the properties.
Christian Brueckner 'bragged about breaking into apartments' where Madeleine McCann went missing
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Brueckner would then hunt through washing baskets looking for money in pockets, the unnamed witness told the court.
Giving evidence at Braunschweig Regional Court, his ex said: “He was always drunk whenever we met, he was always drinking beer.
“He started telling me about Portugal, saying he would break-in to properties - he told me he found money in the pocket of some laundry.”
She added: “He told me he would wear tights during his break-ins. He said he would put them over his face like a mask - then put the goggles on top.
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Christian Brueckner is suspected of abducting the missing British toddler Madeleine McCann
GettyShe said that on one occasion, Brueckner told her about a break-in where he stole a lot of money, potentially in the €100,000 region.
“I don’t remember if he told me about breaking into properties naked. But I do remember him telling me he would escape via the roofs,” she added.
The pair met on a website that was often used by paedophiles, something she was at first not initially aware of.
The revelations mirror those disclosed last week by Michael Tatschl, a former friend of Brueckner’s, who said that the Maddie suspect had boasted about breaking into and burgling holiday homes in Portugal while naked.
Tatschl said: "Once, he told me he broke in and three teenage girls were sleeping in the living room... And he was naked. One of them woke up when a phone rang and screamed.
The 47-year-old had allegedly bragged about the incidents to Tatschl while both men were serving an eight-month prison sentence in 2006 for stealing fuel.
Madeleine McCann was last seen in 2007 in Portugal
PA“The girl's father heard the scream and came, so Christian had to run and jump off a balcony and run away,” he continued.
“He burgled naked quite a few times because he did not want to leave a trace.”
Tatschl also told the court that Brueckner boasted about a four-day sexual assault of a girl as young as 14.
He said that the “14 or 15”-year-old girl had come from a local rehabilitation programme and had “run away” when she encountered Brueckner.
Tatschl said that Brueckner had installed a "chest height" iron ring at his farmhouse, to which he tied the teenager “for days”, forcing her to perform sexual acts before eventually letting her go.