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Kate And Gerry McCann Brand Man Who Dressed Up As Madeleine 'An Idiot'

Kate And Gerry McCann Brand Man Who Dressed Up As Madeleine 'An Idiot'

They called his actions 'deeply offensive and cruel' after a man dressed up as their missing daughter for Halloween.

Claire Reid

Claire Reid

Madeleine McCann's parents have slammed the Scottish man who dressed up as their little girl for Halloween.

Via a spokesperson, Kate and Gerry McCann responded to the pictures of Daniel Gearie, 25, from Dundee, dressed as the missing girl.

They told the Sun: "Kate and Gerry think he's an idiot and at his age should know better. What he did was deeply offensive and cruel."

Pictures of Gearie went viral after he posted himself posing in a blonde wig and Everton top beside a photo of Maddie, who disappeared while on holiday in the Algarve when she was just three.


The offensive costume was posted on Twitter. Credit: Twitter

Gearie initially followed up his photo with a tweet saying: "and before you say 'this is sick' etc I know it is but I'm not the one who left a child unattended in a Portuguese hotel."

However, after a widespread backlash from social media users who called him 'vile', a 'disgrace' and said he had 'taken it too far', he shared an apology.

Gearie apologised for the post, saying he was 'disgusted' by his actions. Credit: PA

He wrote: "At the weekend I made the most incredibly stupid, vile and disgusting decision of my life. I can honestly say that I am embarrassed and disgusted by my own behaviour and can only apologise for any offence that I caused anyone. There's no hiding from what I did, I have to hold my hands up and take responsibility for my own actions.

"I am genuinely sorry for the hurt that I have caused to my family over the past few days and hope that one day they and anyone else that I hurt can forgive me.

Photos of Maddie and her family at a special service held at a church in Praia Da Luz, Portugal. Credit: PA

"For now though I have to reflect on who I currently am and how I can better myself as a person."

This was followed up with an additional post, in which he said: "I've already admitted earlier it's something I regret however I need to be open and honest about what I've done, can't hide from it."

Earlier this year, Kate and Gerry pleaded with online trolls to stop abusing them, after research into online abuse found that they were targeted by 150 disgusting tweets every day.

Source: The Sun

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: UK News, Kate McCann, halloween, Gerry McCann, Twitter, Madeleine McCann