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| April Jones murder case: Mark Bridger's 'sleepover offer' to girl | April Jones murder case: Mark Bridger's 'sleepover offer' to girl |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A jury has seen video evidence of a girl telling police she was asked to a sleepover by the man accused of murdering five-year-old April Jones. | A jury has seen video evidence of a girl telling police she was asked to a sleepover by the man accused of murdering five-year-old April Jones. |
| The Mold Crown Court trial of Mark Bridger, 47, of Ceinws, Powys, was shown the girl's police interview. | The Mold Crown Court trial of Mark Bridger, 47, of Ceinws, Powys, was shown the girl's police interview. |
| In it, she said Mr Bridger asked her to a sleepover with his daughter on the day April disappeared from Machynlleth, but no arrangements were made. | In it, she said Mr Bridger asked her to a sleepover with his daughter on the day April disappeared from Machynlleth, but no arrangements were made. |
| He denies abducting and murdering April who went missing on 1 October 2012. | He denies abducting and murdering April who went missing on 1 October 2012. |
| April, who had mild cerebral palsy, had been playing with a friend near her home on the Bryn-Y-Gog estate. | April, who had mild cerebral palsy, had been playing with a friend near her home on the Bryn-Y-Gog estate. |
| Prosecutors have told the court Mr Bridger killed April in a sexually motivated attack and traces of her blood were found at his cottage. | Prosecutors have told the court Mr Bridger 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 vehicle and "panicked", the jury has heard. | The defendant told police during interviews he accidentally hit April with his vehicle and "panicked", the jury has heard. |
| The court has been told he claims he placed her body in his car and drove around but cannot recall what happened after that. | The court has been told he claims he placed her body in his car and drove around but cannot recall what happened after that. |
| On Thursday, the jury was played a recorded police interview made three days after April went missing. | On Thursday, the jury was played a recorded police interview made three days after April went missing. |
| In it a 10-year-old girl told how she had been out playing with her friend. | In it a 10-year-old girl told how she had been out playing with her friend. |
| She said: "I saw Mark in his car and he offered me to have a sleepover with his daughter at his house." | She said: "I saw Mark in his car and he offered me to have a sleepover with his daughter at his house." |
| Describing the incident further, she said: "He asked me if I could go and have a sleepover with his daughter." | Describing the incident further, she said: "He asked me if I could go and have a sleepover with his daughter." |
| Talking to her | Talking to her |
| She added: "He parked up and spoke to me." | She added: "He parked up and spoke to me." |
| She said Mr Bridger "got his window down" and started talking to her. | She said Mr Bridger "got his window down" and started talking to her. |
| "I have seen him a couple of times...he's been very nice to me and said hi, how am I doing," she said. | "I have seen him a couple of times...he's been very nice to me and said hi, how am I doing," she said. |
| She described his car as a left-hand drive vehicle. | |
| She said it was a "bit odd" that he offered her a sleepover, but said she answered "that'll be great". No firm arrangements were made. Mr Bridger then left after the conversation, she said. | She said it was a "bit odd" that he offered her a sleepover, but said she answered "that'll be great". No firm arrangements were made. Mr Bridger then left after the conversation, she said. |
| The girl said she saw Mr Bridger "five or 10 minutes later" near an area where she knew April played on her bike. | The girl said she saw Mr Bridger "five or 10 minutes later" near an area where she knew April played on her bike. |
| She said she saw him in his car "lying down with a newspaper on his lap with a walkie talkie in his hand". She said he got up and saw her and she smiled at him. | |
| She told how she had earlier seen April and her friend playing nearby. | |
| "They were just playing on their bikes," she said. | |
| She said she then cycled home, had her dinner, and went back to see if he was still there but he had gone. | She said she then cycled home, had her dinner, and went back to see if he was still there but he had gone. |
| The court also heard a written statement from the girl's mother in which she said her daughter had phoned her from her mobile at about 17:50 on the day April went missing and she could hear a man's voice in the background which was Mr Bridger's. | The court also heard a written statement from the girl's mother in which she said her daughter had phoned her from her mobile at about 17:50 on the day April went missing and she could hear a man's voice in the background which was Mr Bridger's. |
| Later, the court heard from Carwen Sheen, from Machynlleth, who was helping in the search for April on 2 October, the day after she disappeared. | Later, the court heard from Carwen Sheen, from Machynlleth, who was helping in the search for April on 2 October, the day after she disappeared. |
| She said she saw Mr Bridger a couple of times that morning including at the side of the road near an embankment with the door of his vehicle open. | |
| "I slowed down because I had a friend with me. She made a comment, 'what's he doing there'?" she said. | "I slowed down because I had a friend with me. She made a comment, 'what's he doing there'?" she said. |
| Ms Sheen said she saw Mr Bridger carrying a black bin bag. | Ms Sheen said she saw Mr Bridger carrying a black bin bag. |
| Describing the bin bag, she said: "It was black and it was rolled up. There was a bit at the end hanging down". | Describing the bin bag, she said: "It was black and it was rolled up. There was a bit at the end hanging down". |
| Although she knew Mr Bridger she said she did not acknowledge him. | Although she knew Mr Bridger she said she did not acknowledge him. |
| Cross-examined by defence counsel Brendan Kelly QC, she disagreed that the bag was wrapped around Mr Bridger's hand. | Cross-examined by defence counsel Brendan Kelly QC, she disagreed that the bag was wrapped around Mr Bridger's hand. |
| She said: "It was wrapped like a sausage... then there was a bit hanging down like it wasn't wrapped fully." | She said: "It was wrapped like a sausage... then there was a bit hanging down like it wasn't wrapped fully." |
| Elwen Evans QC, for the prosecution, asked Ms Sheen whether the bag looked empty. | Elwen Evans QC, for the prosecution, asked Ms Sheen whether the bag looked empty. |
| "I would say there was something in it. Not very big but there was something in it," she answered. | "I would say there was something in it. Not very big but there was something in it," she answered. |
| The jury was later told that earlier on 2 October, at around 08:30, Mr Bridger was with his employer at her bed and breakfast business he was helping to renovate. | |
| Postman Huw Myrfyn Davies arrived there and, in written evidence, he recalled speaking to Mr Bridger. | |
| He said: "I asked him if he had seen and heard about the news, to which he said he had. He appeared quite shocked. | |
| "I believe he asked me what sort of vehicle they were looking for." | |
| The postman told Mr Bridger he had heard a variety of vehicles, ranging from a transit van to a Land Rover. | |
| The court also heard from a resident who was in a party of 20 volunteers making a sweep of the River Dyfi looking for April. | |
| Mr Bridger had joined the group in the afternoon and said he had found out about April's disappearance at 09:30 that morning. | |
| But another member of the same search party told in written evidence how Mr Bridger had claimed to have been searching "most of the night". | |
| Sightings | |
| Earlier on Thursday, the jury heard a written statement from a teacher at April's school who spent 10 minutes with Mr Bridger at a parents' evening on 1 October discussing his daughter. | Earlier on Thursday, the jury heard a written statement from a teacher at April's school who spent 10 minutes with Mr Bridger at a parents' evening on 1 October discussing his daughter. |
| She said he seemed his "normal self, although something gave me the impression that he might have had a couple of drinks". She said she could not smell alcohol on him. | She said he seemed his "normal self, although something gave me the impression that he might have had a couple of drinks". She said she could not smell alcohol on him. |
| The jury also heard from several witnesses who had seen Mr Bridger driving around the estate on the evening that April disappeared. | The jury also heard from several witnesses who had seen Mr Bridger driving around the estate on the evening that April disappeared. |
| The trial has been adjourned until Friday. | |
| April's disappearance sparked the biggest police search in UK history. | April's disappearance sparked the biggest police search in UK history. |
| She has never been found. | She has never been found. |
| Mr Bridger also denies intending to pervert the course of justice. | |