In an "outrageous" courtroom speech, a lawyer has attacked Madeleine McCann's parents in a bid to defend his own client.
“The parents of Madeleine McCann were guilty of child neglect"
Gareth Morgan, while acting for a drink-driving mum who left her five-year-old Asperger syndrome son, home alone at night, accused Kate and Gerry McCann of child neglect.
He told magistrates in South Wales: “The parents of Madeleine McCann were guilty of child neglect for leaving their little girl much longer than my client.
"They were never prosecuted."
On the basis that Kate and Gerry McCann were never prosecuted for leaving their daughter Maddie alone in a holiday flat, he pleaded for the freedom of his client.
"The mother in this case is ashamed and remorseful at putting her young child at risk in the way she did.”
The woman, who was caught after crashing into a car at traffic lights and was found to have left her "extremely vulnerable" son at home alone, pleaded guilty to neglect and was spared jail.
Last night a close pal of the couple explained to a national newspaper: “The comments are insensitive and plain wrong. Kate and Gerry will be furious. The circumstances are totally different and not comparable.
“If Kate and Gerry were guilty of child neglect, and they were absolutely not, they would have been dealt with.
"As it is, there are two police inquiries in two different countries trying to find out what happened to Madeleine, and comments made by a lawyer in an unrelated case is offensive, outrageous and inaccurate.
"It is his opinion, but it is a disgrace that a defence lawyer is commenting on Kate and Gerry in this way. They will not be happy about that.”