As international media awaits information from the Portuguese police, questions are being asked about the death of Australian, Michael Kearns and his British girlfriend, Louise Benson who plunged 30 metres to their death onto Praia dos Pescadores at the west coast town of Ericeira, 35 kilometres north-west of Lisbon.
Initial comments suggested that they had been taking a selfie and somehow fell over a low wall to their doom. But this was at 04:00 in the morning and there was light rain, hardly ideal conditions for a photo opportunity.
UK and Australian media have claimed that Louise Benson has a clump of hair in one of her lifeless hands when she was discovered by workers early on June 12th.
The couple, both in their 30s are said to have died sometime between 01:00 and 06:00 local time on June 12 but they were reportedly still drinking at 04:00 before their fall, and a woman walking her dog along the edge of the cliff heard a scream or a shot, just after 05:00.
According to an investigation by News Corp, Portuguese police have not yet interviewed those who saw or spoke to the couple in the time before they fell to their deaths.
A local man said he had been drinking with the couple before going home at 02:00 - but the owner of a bar said she saw the man drinking with Kearns and Benson until 04:00. Neither has been spoken to by police.
Rui Pereira da Terra, Captain of the Port of Cascais and local commander of the maritime Police said that the fall probably happened when they were trying to take a selfie.
"It seems they dropped their mobile phone and fell down while leaning over to retrieve it," added the Captain.
Bill Kearns, Michael's father told Australia's Herald Sun that his son was a "rough diamond with a heart of gold" and his girlfriend was a, "beautiful girl with a beautiful nature."
They are believed to have checked in to a guesthouse about 15:00 on the afternoon before the fall, before heading out for a walk through town. The couple was in Portugal to attend a friend's wedding.
They arrived at a pizzeria before ordering dinner and sharing drinks with another couple and a local man. Kearns and Benson went to another bar with the local man at about 00.30, before leaving at 02:00.
The couple then arrived at Bar Neptuno with a group of about eight people, including the local man.
The group left the bar at 04:00, an hour before a woman walking her dog heard a scream or a shot.
A beach cleaner found the two bodies at 06.45. Both were fatally injured after hitting a sign at the base of the cliff.
Two unnamed sources said Louise Benson has hair in her hand when she was found and that samples were taken for forensic investigation.
Kearns was a part-time worker at Chevron's Wheatstone project, a natural gas plant currently being built in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
Louise Benson originally was from Bristol. They had been travelling together since January.
Comments
I don't wish to alarm you, but the comments made by "Elsa" which you printed, are of an accusatory nature against the Police force and the Judiciary of Portugal.
Not only did you print her story but you appear to agree with her story (comment 19).
You informed Elsa, that you would try to follow up on the conclusion that the Australian coroner's court findings and what they did after their conclusions. If Jacinta Rees was murdered, the Australian Embassy in Portugal would have to force an investigation into the death of one of it's citizens. Surely, this would be the procedure.
"Seemed to be conflicting views" is the understatement of the week.
The current autopsy of the couple who died on the beach at Ericeira is being completed. The ones for Jacinta Rees were, of course, completed ages ago and differed wildly in their conclusions. Sorry if I was unclear.
Are you saying that the autopsy of the Australian lady in 2008, which took place in 2008 is still on going ! !
In this case if the Portuguese police were allowed to finish their investigation the case would have had it's conclusion long ago. The McCanns had friends in high places that have allowed them hide their guilt.
The police are investigating, the autopsy results will be known soon and then we will know what the position is. Memories of Jacinta Rees remain painful. Our Australian cousins, especially, hope for an investigation not a cover up, if the forensics show foul play.
If nothing else a competent investigator should have immediately checked when the phone stopped moving and what other phones were in the immediate vicinity. Should this have been an attempted mugging by a regular gang then those other phones may well have been at the other incidents.
The Mc Cann's abandoned their babies and 3 year old Maddie in an apartment, while they went for drinks with their friends.