MADELEINE McCann suspect Christian Brueckner could face three extra months behind bars after the woman who paid his fine asked for her money back.

The mystery donor – an ex-cop who investigated the suspect – settled a £1,300 outstanding court fine allowing Brueckner, 48, to walk free in September.

PA

Madeleine vanished on May 3, 2007, while on holiday with her family in Praia da Luz in Portugal[/caption]

Dan Charity

Christian Brueckner is believed to be the lead suspect in the girl’s disappearance[/caption]

Dan Charity

Officials recently went on a renewed search for DNA evidence in Portugal[/caption]

But the former German FBI agent has now emailed prosecutors pleading she has made a “mistake” – and begged for the funds to be returned to her.

Officials are taking the request seriously and were last night looking at how the funds could be sent back.

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If they succeed it would secure crucial extra time for McCann investigators before their prime suspect walks free.

Reports in Germany said: “In an email to the Braunschweig Public Prosecutor’s Office, the former BKA employee is now demanding repayment of the money.

“She stated that she was unaware that Christian B. had been convicted in previous cases, including forgery.”

The ex-cop is said to have told officials: “I therefore wish to contest my declaration of intent to repay the payment and invalidate the legal transaction accordingly.”

The payment cleared a 2016 Helmstedt District Court fine for drunkenness in traffic and forgery of documents and a 2017 Braunschweig court levy for assault.

Before the ex-cop paid the fine, convicted paedophile Breuckner had only been able to pay £210 of the total and faced being kept behind bars until late January.

The fine-payer insists she had “never had personal contact with Christian B.”

Maddie prosecutors said it was investigating “the extent to which the payment received in the criminal case against Christian B. can actually be credited toward the fine imposed there.”

It stated that it had found evidence “that the payment was made by mistake.”

Brueckner will now walk free when his sentence for raping an American woman, 72, in Praia da Luz, in 2005, ends.

He has been named publicly as the prime suspect over the May 3 2007 disappearance of Maddie, of Rothley, Leics., since 2020 but never been charged.

He has used letters to deny the claims but has refused to answer police questions or provide an alibi.

His phone was in Praia da Luz on the night Madeleine vanished and made a 30-minute call from the area.

His Jaguar was re-registered into a name the day after the disappearance.

A Sun investigation this year revealed bombshell new evidence – including Brueckner’s obsession with snatching and abusing small, young, blonde girls.

Rob Pattinson

Brueckner appeared in court earlier this year over verbal assaults on prison guards[/caption]

AFP

Maddie has now been missing for 18 years[/caption]

Dan Charity

The search last week was focused on a handful of derelict building[/caption]

We also placed him at key police locations of interest, including a lake where cops dug for evidence.

And we showed evidence he was at the scene of an al-but-confession when he allegedly said Maddie “did not scream,” in 2008.
Our probe – aired on Channel 4 – revealed the existence of a hard-drive and laptop containing crucial picture evidence on the case.

Police maintain they have physical evidence Maddie is dead – but no forensic links.

German police have recently stressed the value UK authorities could provide by getting involved in the case again before Brueckner’s release.

He has refused to rule out leaving Germany and insisted he will go to ground on his release.

If he travelled to a non-extradition country all hopes for McCann justice could disappear with him.