Brueckner, 48, has said he was living in a camper van and dealing drugs when Madeleine vanished
THE man suspected of killing three-year-old Madeleine McCann is said to have spent £45,000 in the year after she vanished.
Christian Brueckner got through vast sums despite not paying his rent, reports suggest.
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Christian Brueckner is said to have spent £45,000 in the year after Madeleine McCann vanishedCredit: Dan Charity
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Madeleine vanished on May 3, 2007, while on holiday with her family in Praia da Luz in PortugalCredit: PA
The paedo, 48, has said he was living in a camper van and dealing drugs when Madeleine vanished from Praia da Luz, Portugal, in 2007.
A land registration document shows that by 2008 he paid £19,000 for a former box factory in east Germany.
Another document reveals he upgraded his van to a Winnebago costing up to £20,000 by March 2008.
And it has previously been reported he had his buck teeth fixed for £6,000 in September 2007.
A Praia local who knew Brueckner for years said: “He didn’t pay rent for his bedsit cottage, he just covered bills for the owner.”
A source close to the case in Germany, added: “He admits dealing drugs in one breath – then claims he is innocent of all claims in another.
“If you look at his spending it is impossible to see where the money came from without linking it to crime.
“Whatever he was up to, he must have had a serious influx of cash before 2008 when his spending was unprecedented.”
Brueckner is in a German jail for rape and is due for release in September.
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He has never been formally charged over Madeleine’s disappearance and denies any involvement.
A three-day search for clues in Praia drew a blank last week.
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
Here’s a timeline of the case which has gripped the world.
May 3, 2007
Madeleine McCann disappears from her family’s holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, sparking a massive police search and becoming one of the most famous missing persons cases in history.
January 15, 2016
Neighbour reports a possible ‘grave’ at Brueckner’s abandoned factory in East Germany.
Cops find disturbing images on USB sticks and launch a full-scale search.
February 16, 2016
Christian Brueckner is convicted for abusing a girl of five in a park after images found on his laptop.
He was sentenced to 15-months behind bars but was already on the run by then.
May 3, 2017
Around this time, Helge B calls an information hotline after watching a ten-year anniversary special on the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
He reports an alleged confession by Christian Brueckner.
September 27, 2018
On-the-run Christian Brueckner is arrested over outstanding drugs claims in Italy.
He is extradited to Germany the following year.
December 16, 2019
Christian Brueckner was convicted, in Germany, for the 2005 rape of an American woman in Praia da Luz, Portugal, after his DNA was matched to a hair found on her bed.
He was sentenced to seven years behind bars.
June 4, 2020
German prosecutors reveal to the world they have a suspect in custody under investigation for the abduction of Madeleine McCann.
For the first time they claim Madeleine is dead.
German media later name him as Christian B (Christian Brueckner).
June 23, 2023
In his first interview, witness Helge B alleges to German newspaper Bild that Christian Brueckner all-but-confessed the Madeleine abduction to him, by allegedly saying “she didn’t scream” as they talked about the case, at a music festival, in Spain.
February 16, 2024
Brueckner goes on trial accused of none-McCann allegations of rape and sex assault, in Braunschweig, Germany.
Prosecutors hope for a conviction to keep him behind bars permanently and lead to McCann charges.
October 8, 2024
Brueckner was acquitted of all claims.
Prosecutors launch an appeal, however. Decision pending.
September 17, 2025
Date on which Christian Brueckner will be released from custody without action being taken.
Prosecutors require an arrest warrant for a retrial over claims from last year – or over the McCann case.
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