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April Jones case: Jury visiting Mark Bridger's home | |
(35 minutes later) | |
The jury in the trial of the man accused of murdering five-year-old April Jones in a sexually motivated attack is visiting his home. | |
Mark Bridger, 47, from Ceinws, Powys, denies abducting and murdering April, who disappeared near her home in Machynlleth on 1 October 2012. | Mark Bridger, 47, from Ceinws, Powys, denies abducting and murdering April, who disappeared near her home in Machynlleth on 1 October 2012. |
Jurors arrived to see key locations in connection with the case before heading to the defendant's home nearby. | |
Prosecutors have told Mold Crown Court that blood found at his home was hers. | Prosecutors have told Mold Crown Court that blood found at his home was hers. |
'Extensive clean-up' | 'Extensive clean-up' |
At lunchtime on Thursday, the jury went to the defendant's cottage and entered four at a time. | |
The first of the jury members later emerged from the house with two police officers standing nearby, preventing anyone approaching. Other jury members stood in front garden awaiting their turn. | |
No traffic was allowed through the village during the jury visit. | |
Earlier on Thursday, the jury arrived in a town bathed in sunshine, with pink ribbons put up to mark April's disappearance still visible. | |
The jury's first visit was to April's school, Machynlleth Junior School, on the edge of Bryn-Y-Gog estate where April lived and disappeared from while playing with friends. | The jury's first visit was to April's school, Machynlleth Junior School, on the edge of Bryn-Y-Gog estate where April lived and disappeared from while playing with friends. |
Jurors were accompanied by several police motorcycle outriders and a police car, and officers stopped traffic going to the area of the estate where they were. | Jurors were accompanied by several police motorcycle outriders and a police car, and officers stopped traffic going to the area of the estate where they were. |
The court had heard on Wednesday that April's parents Coral and Paul as well as the defendant had attended parents' evenings at the school on the evening April disappeared. | |
The jury then walked from the school to the estate itself. The next port of call was the war memorial in Machynlleth via the back road from Bryn-y-Gog before jurors were taken to Machynlleth Leisure Centre, where the last known CCTV images of April were recorded. | |
The court on Wednesday was shown footage of April arriving at the leisure centre with a friend shortly after 16:30. | The court on Wednesday was shown footage of April arriving at the leisure centre with a friend shortly after 16:30. |
While she was at the leisure centre, her mother and father went to her school for the parents' evening. | |
The jurors were also taken to the clock tower in the centre of Machynlleth - close to where Mr Bridger was seen on CCTV on the day April went missing - and Tuffins garage, which the court has heard he was seen driving past. | |
The defendant's home played a key role in evidence presented by prosecuting counsel Elwen Evans QC on Wednesday. | |
Ms Evans told the court the defendant burned evidence in his fire and used detergent as part of an "extensive clean-up". | |
But blood stains at various locations around the cottage matched April's DNA, she said. | |
Ms Evans said that when the prosecution referred to a one-in-a-billion match "that is, in fact, April's blood". | Ms Evans said that when the prosecution referred to a one-in-a-billion match "that is, in fact, April's blood". |
Tests on bone fragments at Mr Bridger's house "strongly support" the fact they came from a human skull, she said. | Tests on bone fragments at Mr Bridger's house "strongly support" the fact they came from a human skull, she said. |
The prosecution had outlined Mr Bridger's movements on the day of April's disappearance. | The prosecution had outlined Mr Bridger's movements on the day of April's disappearance. |
'No strings attached' | |
He had approached two young girls - aged eight and 10 - who were playing on bicycles, the court was told. | He had approached two young girls - aged eight and 10 - who were playing on bicycles, the court was told. |
One was friendly with his daughter and he invited her for a sleepover but she declined and he drove away. | One was friendly with his daughter and he invited her for a sleepover but she declined and he drove away. |
Earlier in the day he had propositioned three women via Facebook asking two of them to meet up "with no strings attached". | Earlier in the day he had propositioned three women via Facebook asking two of them to meet up "with no strings attached". |
He had also exchanged texts with a former girlfriend about their break-up. | He had also exchanged texts with a former girlfriend about their break-up. |
Mr Bridger had told police during interviews he had accidentally hit April with his car and "panicked", the jury was told. | Mr Bridger had told police during interviews he had accidentally hit April with his car and "panicked", the jury was told. |
"I didn't abduct her. I did my best to revive her," he said. | "I didn't abduct her. I did my best to revive her," he said. |
The defendant also denies intending to pervert the course of justice. | The defendant also denies intending to pervert the course of justice. |
The trial continues. | The trial continues. |