Flatmate of Madeleine McCann suspect reveals his childhood inside children’s home

The man suspected of killing Madeleine McCann made his housemates’ lives ‘a living hell’ while staying in a children’s home in Germany.

Christian Brueckner is just months away from being released from prison after serving a seven year sentence for rape.

Prosecutors are scrambling to find enough evidence to link him to Madeleine’s murder in Praia da Luz in 2003 – where the convicted paedophile was staying at the time.

He denies any involvement in her disappearance.

Brueckner, 47, is set to be released at the end of his current sentence in February.

But his former housemate Thomas Hertel, whom he lived with at a teenager’s home between 1992 and 1995, warned Brueckner is a ‘ticking time bomb’ and should never be let out.

What was Christian Brueckner like growing up?

According to Thomas, Brueckner frequently attacked other children and terrorised staff at the welfare home.

Brueckner was so violent he left Thomas ‘shaking’ every time he entered the room after being attacked with a glass bottle.

Thomas said: ‘One side was kind and nice, you could talk to him. But when he flipped out, he flipped out.

‘That was when you saw the other side. When something got under his skin, he was so aggressive and unpredictable. You couldn’t hold him back.’

Renate Tschugg, who lived next door to the children’s home, described Brueckner as a ‘strange boy’ who she ‘couldn’t connect with at all’.

‘Stealing and control over food’

Brueckner allegedly stole from other children and wanted control over food.

‘He thieved things, he burgled, he broke into places,’ Thomas told The Mirror. ‘He was the king in that place and he would not let himself be told anything – he had the most cigarettes and money.

‘He hoarded all the food. He took everything from the room. We were left with nothing.

‘We went shopping once a week and it had to last, and he hoarded everything.

‘It was as if he wanted all the power, the whole residential group under his control, under his thumb. He wanted everything for himself.’

‘I think he’s capable of anything’

Brueckner’s desire to control all the food was so strong he would ‘flip out’ if there was not enough for him.

He allegedly attacked Thomas with a glass bottle after no dinner was left for him, which left him needing hospital treatment to remove the shards from his eye.

Thomas said: ‘Because there was nothing left to eat, he got aggressive. He took a bottle of water and threw it at me.

‘The bottle shattered and a splinter went into my eye. I had to go to the eye clinic to have it removed.’

Thomas added he believes Brueckner is capable of killing Madeleine, and should never be let out.

‘I think he’s capable of anything,’ Thomas said. ‘He’s a ticking time bomb, a danger. He shouldn’t be let out, that would be my wish.’

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