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April Jones murder case: 'Happy face' as she got into vehicle | April Jones murder case: 'Happy face' as she got into vehicle |
(about 1 hour later) | |
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. | 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 jury at the Mold Crown Court trial of Mark Bridger, 47, who denies her abduction and murder, has been played a police interview with April's friend. | The jury at the Mold Crown Court trial of Mark Bridger, 47, who denies her abduction and murder, has been played a police interview with April's friend. |
The seven-year-old girl said a man got out of a Land Rover then April got in. | The seven-year-old girl said a man got out of a Land Rover then April got in. |
In the interview with a police officer made the day after April went missing, 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 said 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 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 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 went on to say: "The man didn't take her in the van. She got in the van having a happy face." |
The interviewer asked her to draw a Land Rover and she continued to draw as the interviewer asked her questions about the vehicle. | 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. | She said the wheels "were quite big" and remembered them being muddy. |
"All the windows on it were quite clean. The vehicle was clean but the tyres weren't," she said. | "All the windows on it were quite clean. The vehicle was clean but the tyres weren't," she said. |
Asked who she saw in the Land Rover, she said: "A man." | 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. | "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 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". | 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". | 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 and they wouldn't work... so she had to get through that way." | |
She said April's brother arrived a few minutes later and said it was time for her to go home. | 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 they went back to their homes. | |
The alarm was then raised. | The alarm was then raised. |
'Brown hair' | 'Brown hair' |
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..." | 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..." |
Asked in more detail about the man's appearance, she said: "I think he had brown hair. I'm sure he had brown hair but I'm not sure about anything else." | Asked in more detail about the man's appearance, she said: "I think he had brown hair. I'm sure he had brown hair but I'm not sure about anything else." |
She said he was "definitely outside" the vehicle and was standing between the Land Rover and a BT van. | She said he was "definitely outside" the vehicle and was standing between the Land Rover and a BT van. |
The girl has begun to give evidence via video link from Aberystwyth. Two screens in court show her watching the proceedings. She has a teddy bear on the desk in front of her. | |
The judge Mr Justice John Griffith Williams said: "It's very important that you tell us the truth. Will you do that?" | The judge Mr Justice John Griffith Williams said: "It's very important that you tell us the truth. Will you do that?" |
"Yes," she said. | "Yes," she said. |
Defence counsel Brendan Kelly QC began by asking a woman sat in the room with the girl to show her pictures of Bryn-Y-Gog, the estate where April lived. | Defence counsel Brendan Kelly QC began by asking a woman sat in the room with the girl to show her pictures of Bryn-Y-Gog, the estate where April lived. |
The jury has heard that April and the girl were playing with another friend before April's disappearance. | |
April and the girl giving evidence decided to take the other friend home. She was questioned by Mr Kelly about the route they took. | |
Later, Mr Kelly asked the girl about pictures of Land Rovers that her mother had shown to her before she was interviewed by police. | |
He also asked: "Did you have a good view of the Land Rover when you saw it?" | |
Girl: "Yes I did." | |
Mr Kelly: "Could you see it clearly?" | |
Girl: "Not that clearly." | |
Mr Kelly: "Could you see how many doors it had and things like that?" | |
Girl: "Yes." | |
She agreed she only had a "little bit" of a view. | |
Later, referring to something she had said in her interview with police, Mr Kelly asked: "Were you unclear the night before about what happened, about the Land Rover?" | |
Girl: "Yes I was. It took a long time for them to understand what I meant about what the Land Rover looked like." | |
She later confirmed that she had described it as grey in colour, and had described it as a van. | |
Mr Bridger watched the screen on the wall to his left. There were three security guards in the dock with him. | |
April's parents, Coral and Paul, were in court on Tuesday. | April's parents, Coral and Paul, were in court on Tuesday. |
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 later 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. | |
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. |
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. |
April's disappearance sparked the biggest police search in UK history. | April's disappearance sparked the biggest police search in UK history. |
The case continues. | The case continues. |