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| Mark Bridger trial: school head tells of 'odd' behaviour of April murder suspect | Mark Bridger trial: school head tells of 'odd' behaviour of April murder suspect |
| (about 20 hours later) | |
| A headteacher has told a jury she found it "odd" that the man accused of murdering April Jones was chatting to a teenage girl at a parents' evening shortly before he allegedly abducted the five-year-old. | A headteacher has told a jury she found it "odd" that the man accused of murdering April Jones was chatting to a teenage girl at a parents' evening shortly before he allegedly abducted the five-year-old. |
| Gwenfair Glyn said she had always thought Mark Bridger charming, even charismatic, but said he had a history of relationships with young mothers. | Gwenfair Glyn said she had always thought Mark Bridger charming, even charismatic, but said he had a history of relationships with young mothers. |
| The jury at Mold crown court in north Wales also heard on Wednesday from an eight-year-old girl who said she and a 10-year-old friend had been approached by Bridger on the evening that April vanished. | The jury at Mold crown court in north Wales also heard on Wednesday from an eight-year-old girl who said she and a 10-year-old friend had been approached by Bridger on the evening that April vanished. |
| She said Bridger asked her friend if she wanted to go for a sleepover with his own daughter. He drove off but the eight-year-old said that shortly afterwards they saw Bridger again in another part of the town, parked and apparently watching them. | She said Bridger asked her friend if she wanted to go for a sleepover with his own daughter. He drove off but the eight-year-old said that shortly afterwards they saw Bridger again in another part of the town, parked and apparently watching them. |
| Bridger, 47, a former slaughterman, denies abducting and murdering April, who vanished from the Bryn-Y-Gog estate in the mid-Wales town of Machynlleth on the evening of 1 October last year. He also denies concealing, disposing of or destroying her body, which has never been found. | Bridger, 47, a former slaughterman, denies abducting and murdering April, who vanished from the Bryn-Y-Gog estate in the mid-Wales town of Machynlleth on the evening of 1 October last year. He also denies concealing, disposing of or destroying her body, which has never been found. |
| The prosecution has said his motive was sexual but Bridger says he accidentally knocked April over in his Land Rover, panicked, put the body in the vehicle and cannot remember what he did with it. | The prosecution has said his motive was sexual but Bridger says he accidentally knocked April over in his Land Rover, panicked, put the body in the vehicle and cannot remember what he did with it. |
| Glyn, head of the primary school in Machynlleth, told the court that Bridger's daughter was a pupil at the school, and he was at a parents' evening on 1 October. Speaking in Welsh, she told the jury that his appointment was for 5.20pm. | Glyn, head of the primary school in Machynlleth, told the court that Bridger's daughter was a pupil at the school, and he was at a parents' evening on 1 October. Speaking in Welsh, she told the jury that his appointment was for 5.20pm. |
| She said Bridger was "always courteous at all times, charming … even charismatic" but she thought it was "odd" that she spotted him talking to a teenager for about 10 minutes. "It's uncommon that an adult with no connection with the family would be talking to a young girl. It appeared odd." | She said Bridger was "always courteous at all times, charming … even charismatic" but she thought it was "odd" that she spotted him talking to a teenager for about 10 minutes. "It's uncommon that an adult with no connection with the family would be talking to a young girl. It appeared odd." |
| She added: "I know that Mr Bridger had a history of relationships with young mothers … It appeared strange to me that an adult was talking to a young girl from the secondary school." | She added: "I know that Mr Bridger had a history of relationships with young mothers … It appeared strange to me that an adult was talking to a young girl from the secondary school." |
| Explaining why she was struggling to remember some details, the headteacher said there had been "so much trauma" following April's disappearance. | Explaining why she was struggling to remember some details, the headteacher said there had been "so much trauma" following April's disappearance. |
| She said she saw Bridger a second time that evening when he came to her office to give her his new address – Mount Pleasant in Ceinwys, where April's blood has been found. | She said she saw Bridger a second time that evening when he came to her office to give her his new address – Mount Pleasant in Ceinwys, where April's blood has been found. |
| Glyn said he had leaned against the door frame rather than going into the office. She said that was "unusual" but she did not think he was drunk. | Glyn said he had leaned against the door frame rather than going into the office. She said that was "unusual" but she did not think he was drunk. |
| Next the jury was shown a video of a police interview the eight-year-old girl gave about what Bridger allegedly did after leaving the primary school. | Next the jury was shown a video of a police interview the eight-year-old girl gave about what Bridger allegedly did after leaving the primary school. |
| The girl said that she had been playing with a 10-year-old friend who knew Bridger's daughter well. | The girl said that she had been playing with a 10-year-old friend who knew Bridger's daughter well. |
| The girl told the police officer that she saw Bridger in a blue van close to the garages on the Bryn-Y-Gog estate where April was last seen alive about an hour later. | The girl told the police officer that she saw Bridger in a blue van close to the garages on the Bryn-Y-Gog estate where April was last seen alive about an hour later. |
| She said he stopped and talked to them and asked her 10-year-old friend if she wanted to go for a sleepover at his daughter's house. | She said he stopped and talked to them and asked her 10-year-old friend if she wanted to go for a sleepover at his daughter's house. |
| According to the girl, her friend said: "Maybe." She added: "He put the engine on. He drove off." Asked what day this took place the girl said: "It was the day April went." | According to the girl, her friend said: "Maybe." She added: "He put the engine on. He drove off." Asked what day this took place the girl said: "It was the day April went." |
| The jury watched as in the video the girl said she and her friend then cycled off to another part of the town (a minute and 10 seconds away by bike, she said) and saw Bridger again in the car. | The jury watched as in the video the girl said she and her friend then cycled off to another part of the town (a minute and 10 seconds away by bike, she said) and saw Bridger again in the car. |
| She said: "He turned around at the fire station. He stopped and parked by us as we were playing there." The girl thought he might have been talking on a walkie-talkie. "He might have been following us but I don't think he was following us." She said he was there for about five minutes. | She said: "He turned around at the fire station. He stopped and parked by us as we were playing there." The girl thought he might have been talking on a walkie-talkie. "He might have been following us but I don't think he was following us." She said he was there for about five minutes. |
| Bridger appeared to laugh when the girl's description of the man she saw was read out — including the detail that he had "just a little bit of hair". | Bridger appeared to laugh when the girl's description of the man she saw was read out — including the detail that he had "just a little bit of hair". |
| She also said the man had a beard. The court has been told that Bridger did have a beard that day, but had shaved it by the time he was seen at large on 2 October. | She also said the man had a beard. The court has been told that Bridger did have a beard that day, but had shaved it by the time he was seen at large on 2 October. |
| Earlier a man called Keith Standing, who was filling his car with fuel at a petrol station at the time of April's alleged abduction, told how a Land Rover drove past. | Earlier a man called Keith Standing, who was filling his car with fuel at a petrol station at the time of April's alleged abduction, told how a Land Rover drove past. |
| Asked who was driving, Standing pointed to Bridger in the dock and said: "Him." He said Bridger was travelling faster than normal. A till receipt recorded the time as 7.21pm. | Asked who was driving, Standing pointed to Bridger in the dock and said: "Him." He said Bridger was travelling faster than normal. A till receipt recorded the time as 7.21pm. |
| The 999 call that April's mother, Coral, made at 7.29pm that day was played in court for the second time. She left the public gallery during a passage when someone was heard desperately trying to catch their breath. | The 999 call that April's mother, Coral, made at 7.29pm that day was played in court for the second time. She left the public gallery during a passage when someone was heard desperately trying to catch their breath. |
| The trial continues. | The trial continues. |
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