Gardaí reject reports of investigating Hewlett

GARDAÍ yesterday rejected reports that they were looking to interview convicted British paedophile Raymond Hewlett.

It emerged yesterday that Hewlett was being investigated by private detectives in relation to the kidnapping of Madeleine McCann in Portugal two years ago.

It was reported Hewlett is in Germany were he is being treated for cancer.

Clarence Mitchell, a spokesman for Kate and Gerry McCann, said he understood gardaí and British police forces wanted to speak to Hewlett about alleged sexual offences.

A Garda spokesman said they did not want to speak to the man. “We are not looking for him. We don’t have a European Arrest Warrant for him.”

He said Hewlett had lived in Ireland some years ago, but that he didn’t come to Garda attention for any reason.

A senior Garda source said Hewlett lived here during the late 1990s, often as a “hippie type”.

“As far as I know there are no complaints or investigations involving him.”