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| April Jones case: accused has new memory of seeing body | April Jones case: accused has new memory of seeing body |
| (6 days later) | |
| The man accused of abducting and murdering April Jones has told a jury that a memory of laying the five-year-old's body down on his living room floor on the night she vanished has recently returned to him. | The man accused of abducting and murdering April Jones has told a jury that a memory of laying the five-year-old's body down on his living room floor on the night she vanished has recently returned to him. |
| Mark Bridger claimed the next thing he recalls is waking up in the early hours of the following morning and at first thinking he had just had a "nightmare" about April's death. | Mark Bridger claimed the next thing he recalls is waking up in the early hours of the following morning and at first thinking he had just had a "nightmare" about April's death. |
| During police interviews, Bridger insisted he had accidentally knocked April over in his Land Rover and driven her away. He said he could not remember what he did with her body but did not believe he had taken her back to his cottage. | During police interviews, Bridger insisted he had accidentally knocked April over in his Land Rover and driven her away. He said he could not remember what he did with her body but did not believe he had taken her back to his cottage. |
| But giving evidence, Bridger said he now remembered "laying April down in the front room". He told the jury: "It's something that has come to me over the last months. I have no recollection of going to the house or taking April into the house. The only other recollection I have is having April in my arms and laying her down on the carpet in my house. I believe it to be a memory." | But giving evidence, Bridger said he now remembered "laying April down in the front room". He told the jury: "It's something that has come to me over the last months. I have no recollection of going to the house or taking April into the house. The only other recollection I have is having April in my arms and laying her down on the carpet in my house. I believe it to be a memory." |
| Bridger said his next recollection is of waking up between 3am and 5am next morning. "I thought I had had a nightmare or dream." He said he began to search for the "little girl" but could not find her in his house or car. | Bridger said his next recollection is of waking up between 3am and 5am next morning. "I thought I had had a nightmare or dream." He said he began to search for the "little girl" but could not find her in his house or car. |
| Former abattoir worker and lifeguard Bridger, 47, is accused of abducting April from near her home in Machynlleth, mid- Wales, on 1 October last year and murdering her in a sexually-motivated attack. He denies the offences and has also pleaded not guilty to concealing, disposing of or destroying April's body, which has never been found. April's blood was found in Bridger's living room, hall and bathroom while fragments of what the prosecution claims is bone from a child's skull were discovered in his wood burner. | Former abattoir worker and lifeguard Bridger, 47, is accused of abducting April from near her home in Machynlleth, mid- Wales, on 1 October last year and murdering her in a sexually-motivated attack. He denies the offences and has also pleaded not guilty to concealing, disposing of or destroying April's body, which has never been found. April's blood was found in Bridger's living room, hall and bathroom while fragments of what the prosecution claims is bone from a child's skull were discovered in his wood burner. |
| During his first day in the witness box at Mold crown court yesterday on Wednesday Bridger repeated his account of hitting April in his car as she played near her home. He said that after his car "rose up" he got out and saw a "little person, a child" pushed up against one of the wheels. Bridger said he "scooped" the "limp" girl up and put her in his car. He said he tried to revive "little April". But then he panicked and drove away. | During his first day in the witness box at Mold crown court yesterday on Wednesday Bridger repeated his account of hitting April in his car as she played near her home. He said that after his car "rose up" he got out and saw a "little person, a child" pushed up against one of the wheels. Bridger said he "scooped" the "limp" girl up and put her in his car. He said he tried to revive "little April". But then he panicked and drove away. |
| Bridger told the court he was an alcoholic who drank up to 25 cans of cider a day and was swigging vodka as he sped away with April. "I don't remember much from that point," he said. "I don't recall having April in the car." | Bridger told the court he was an alcoholic who drank up to 25 cans of cider a day and was swigging vodka as he sped away with April. "I don't remember much from that point," he said. "I don't recall having April in the car." |
| But he said that in the last few months other "recollections" had come to him. As well as the "memory"of laying April down, he recalled rinsing a beige fleece. Asked about if he knew anything about the "skeleton" fragments allegedly found in his wood burner, Bridger said: "I don't believe I could have done that." | But he said that in the last few months other "recollections" had come to him. As well as the "memory"of laying April down, he recalled rinsing a beige fleece. Asked about if he knew anything about the "skeleton" fragments allegedly found in his wood burner, Bridger said: "I don't believe I could have done that." |
| Bridger was questioned by his barrister, Brendan Kelly QC, about his past. | Bridger was questioned by his barrister, Brendan Kelly QC, about his past. |
| He described growing up in Surrey and moving to Wales after falling out with his family. He conceded he had a string of convictions for violence and deception and once threatened to attack a police officer with a machete. | He described growing up in Surrey and moving to Wales after falling out with his family. He conceded he had a string of convictions for violence and deception and once threatened to attack a police officer with a machete. |
| Asked by Kelly if he had been convicted of any sexual offences or offences related to indecent images, Bridger said: "No." He told the jury he had fathered at least six children by four women and was a grandfather and there had never been any complaints about his behaviour towards any youngsters he had contact with. | Asked by Kelly if he had been convicted of any sexual offences or offences related to indecent images, Bridger said: "No." He told the jury he had fathered at least six children by four women and was a grandfather and there had never been any complaints about his behaviour towards any youngsters he had contact with. |
| Asked about indecent images of children found on his laptop, Bridger said he had stored them with a view to making complaints to the companies that published them. At times he appeared to choke back sobs; at one point he dabbed at his eyes with a tissue. | Asked about indecent images of children found on his laptop, Bridger said he had stored them with a view to making complaints to the companies that published them. At times he appeared to choke back sobs; at one point he dabbed at his eyes with a tissue. |
| April's parents, Paul and Coral, watched from the public gallery – the first time they have actually seen Bridger during the trial. Coral Jones walked from the court when Bridger described his version of how April came to be in his car. | April's parents, Paul and Coral, watched from the public gallery – the first time they have actually seen Bridger during the trial. Coral Jones walked from the court when Bridger described his version of how April came to be in his car. |
| Concluding his evidence in chief, Bridger told the jury he had never denied being involved in April's death. "I didn't run, I didn't hide. I didn't go anywhere." He said he thought he would be arrested and charged with either causing death by dangerous driving or death by drink driving. "I didn't expect to be on a murder charge." | Concluding his evidence in chief, Bridger told the jury he had never denied being involved in April's death. "I didn't run, I didn't hide. I didn't go anywhere." He said he thought he would be arrested and charged with either causing death by dangerous driving or death by drink driving. "I didn't expect to be on a murder charge." |
| Kelly asked him: "Did you abduct April Jones?" Bridger replied: "No I didn't." "Did you have any form of sexual contact with April Jones?" "None at all." "Did you deliberately kill April Jones?" "No I didn't." | Kelly asked him: "Did you abduct April Jones?" Bridger replied: "No I didn't." "Did you have any form of sexual contact with April Jones?" "None at all." "Did you deliberately kill April Jones?" "No I didn't." |
| Elwen Evans QC, for the prosecution, opened her cross-examination by asking Bridger: "Where is April?" He replied: "I don't know." "What did you do with April's body?" "I don't know." | Elwen Evans QC, for the prosecution, opened her cross-examination by asking Bridger: "Where is April?" He replied: "I don't know." "What did you do with April's body?" "I don't know." |
| She asked: "Can you agree whatever you did with April's body, you got rid of her so thoroughly that no part of her, apart from possibly the blood and bone, has been found? Do you agree?" "I'm not proud of it," Bridger replied. | She asked: "Can you agree whatever you did with April's body, you got rid of her so thoroughly that no part of her, apart from possibly the blood and bone, has been found? Do you agree?" "I'm not proud of it," Bridger replied. |
| She went on to ask him why he had duct tape in his car. He told her it was for his work as a handyman but Evans pointed out that a girl in a cartoon image he had looked at on the day of April's disappearance had been bound with duct tape as she was being sexually abused. | She went on to ask him why he had duct tape in his car. He told her it was for his work as a handyman but Evans pointed out that a girl in a cartoon image he had looked at on the day of April's disappearance had been bound with duct tape as she was being sexually abused. |
| The trial continues. | The trial continues. |
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