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April Jones murder case: 'Happy face' as she got into vehicle April Jones murder: 'Happy face' as she got into vehicle
(35 minutes later)
A friend of April Jones who was playing with the five-year-old before she went missing told police April had a "happy face" as she got into a vehicle. A friend who was playing with five-year-old April Jones before she went missing told police she had a "happy face" as she got into a vehicle.
April disappeared near her home in Machynlleth, Powys, on 1 October, 2012. She has never been found.April disappeared near her home in Machynlleth, Powys, on 1 October, 2012. She has never been found.
The trial at Mold Crown Court of Mark Bridger, 47, who denies her abduction and murder, has been hearing a police interview with April's friend. The trial at Mold Crown Court of Mark Bridger, 47, who denies her abduction and murder, has been watching a police interview with April's friend.
The seven-year-old girl said in the interview the vehicle "looks familiar". In it the seven-year-old girl said the vehicle "looks familiar".
The girl said: "Me and her [April] were playing." In the interview with a police officer made the day after April went missing, the girl said: "Me and her [April] were playing."
She added that there was a "man by his van" and she described how she saw April "by the Land Rover van". She said there was a "man by his van" and she described how she saw April "by the Land Rover van".
"I saw her by the person that was waiting by the van," she said."I saw her by the person that was waiting by the van," she said.
Asked if she had seen the Land Rover there before, she said: "It looks familiar it does, because I have seen [two other people] in it before."Asked if she had seen the Land Rover there before, she said: "It looks familiar it does, because I have seen [two other people] in it before."
Later in the interview, she said: "She [April] didn't say that she was going to go in it."Later in the interview, she said: "She [April] didn't say that she was going to go in it."
She went on to say: "The man didn't take her in the van. She got in the van having a happy face she was." She went on to say: "The man didn't take her in the van. She got in the van having a happy face."
The girl is not in court but can be seen on two screens via video link from Aberystwyth. She had a teddy bear on the desk in front of her. The girl was asked: "How do you know it's a Land Rover?"
Recorded interview She described how she had seen a picture on her mother's phone and said: "It's a Land Rover... it's blue but it looks exactly the same."
She is due to give evidence later. The interviewer asked her to draw a Land Rover and she continued to draw as the interviewer asked her questions about the vehicle.
She said the wheels "were quite big" and remembered them being muddy.
'Waiting outside'
"All the windows on it were quite clean. The vehicle was clean but the tyres weren't," she said.
The girl said she first saw the Land Rover earlier on the afternoon April went missing.
"I didn't see it being parked but I saw it going behind the van... the BT one," she said.
Asked who she saw in the Land Rover, she said: "A man."
"The man got out of the van. He was waiting outside the van for someone... I don't know why she wanted to go because her mum and dad told her not to go into cars like that," she said.
She added: "She got in the car. She wasn't crying. She was happy. She got in the back of the van and it just drove off the same way it came."
She said she did not hear any talking because "I was too far away to hear it".
The friend said April got into the vehicle through the driver's door because the two back doors were locked and "they were broken".
Asked how she knew they were broken, she said: "April tried to open them, she did, and they wouldn't work... so she had to get through that way."
'Wearing a jacket'
"That's what I actually saw," she said.
She said April's brother arrived a few minutes later and said it was time for her to go home.
She gave April's bike to her brother and went back to their homes.
The alarm was then raised.
Describing the man, the girl said: "He had green or blue eyes, brown hair I think... I think he was wearing a jacket or a jumper... he was wearing some jeans and he was wearing some trainers..."
The girl is expected to give evidence later via video link from Aberystwyth. Two screens in court showed her watching the proceedings. She had a teddy bear on the desk in front of her.
As the day's proceedings got under way the judge, Mr Justice John Griffith Williams, reassured the girl before asking her: "Can you remember some months ago, going to Newtown and being interviewed by a police officer?"As the day's proceedings got under way the judge, Mr Justice John Griffith Williams, reassured the girl before asking her: "Can you remember some months ago, going to Newtown and being interviewed by a police officer?"
"Yes," she replied."Yes," she replied.
The judge said: "What we're going to do is, we're going to watch that film and you are going to watch it as well. It's rather long and so we'll be taking a lot of breaks, just to help you."The judge said: "What we're going to do is, we're going to watch that film and you are going to watch it as well. It's rather long and so we'll be taking a lot of breaks, just to help you."
The jury has started watching the interview but regular breaks are expected because of the age of the witness.
The recorded interview heard the police officer trying to establish if the girl knew the importance of telling the truth.
Mr Bridger stared up at the screen on the wall to his left. There were three security guards in the dock with him.Mr Bridger stared up at the screen on the wall to his left. There were three security guards in the dock with him.
Last moments April's parents, Coral and Paul, were in court again on Tuesday.
April's parents, Coral and Paul, are in court.
On Friday, the jury heard about her parents' last moments with her.On Friday, the jury heard about her parents' last moments with her.
A statement from her mother read out in court said she had been allowed out to play after "a little bit of a tantrum".A statement from her mother read out in court said she had been allowed out to play after "a little bit of a tantrum".
Coral Jones said that after 20 minutes it was getting dark and cold so she wanted her daughter to come back into the house.Coral Jones said that after 20 minutes it was getting dark and cold so she wanted her daughter to come back into the house.
She sent April's brother to look for her and he came home in a "hysterical state" saying she had been seen getting into a car with a man.She sent April's brother to look for her and he came home in a "hysterical state" saying she had been seen getting into a car with a man.
Mrs Jones immediately called police before she and her husband Paul searched the Bryn-Y-Gog estate, where they live.Mrs Jones immediately called police before she and her husband Paul searched the Bryn-Y-Gog estate, where they live.
The jury also saw the last images of April before her disappearance when CCTV footage was shown of her visiting the town's leisure centre.
Prosecutors have told the court that the defendant killed April in a sexually motivated attack and traces of her blood were found at his cottage.Prosecutors have told the court that the defendant killed April in a sexually motivated attack and traces of her blood were found at his cottage.
Prosecuting counsel Elwen Evans QC said the defendant burned evidence in his fire and used detergent as part of an "extensive clean-up".Prosecuting counsel Elwen Evans QC said the defendant burned evidence in his fire and used detergent as part of an "extensive clean-up".
But blood stains found within the cottage matched the DNA of the five-year-old, she said.But blood stains found within the cottage matched the DNA of the five-year-old, she said.
The defendant told police during interviews he accidentally hit April with his car and "panicked," the jury was told.The defendant told police during interviews he accidentally hit April with his car and "panicked," the jury was told.
The accused man also denies intending to pervert the course of justice.The accused man also denies intending to pervert the course of justice.
The case continues.The case continues.