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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. | |
| 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. Asked how she knew it was a Land Rover, she said she had "seen it many times and it's got the Land Rover badge on it". | She described his car as a left-hand drive vehicle. Asked how she knew it was a Land Rover, she said she had "seen it many times and it's got the Land Rover badge on it". |
| 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 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 said he got up and saw her and she smiled at him. |
| Asked about the handheld receiver, she said: "He was speaking through it." | Asked about the handheld receiver, she said: "He was speaking through it." |
| She told how she had earlier seen April and her friend playing nearby. "They were just playing on their bikes," she said. | She told how she had earlier seen April and her friend playing nearby. "They were just playing on their bikes," she said. |
| Later she said: "He (Mark Bridger) was acting really quite odd." | Later she said: "He (Mark Bridger) was acting really quite odd." |
| 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. | |
| She said she could hear a man's voice in the background. | She said she could hear a man's voice in the background. |
| She asked her daughter if that was "daddy" in the background but the girl said it was her friend's father Mark Bridger. The woman said she thought no more about it. | She asked her daughter if that was "daddy" in the background but the girl said it was her friend's father Mark Bridger. The woman said she thought no more about it. |
| Later that night, after April had gone missing, she described having a brief conversation with her daughter about getting into strange cars. | Later that night, after April had gone missing, she described having a brief conversation with her daughter about getting into strange cars. |
| Parents' evening | Parents' evening |
| During the conversation her daughter told her that Mr Bridger "is really nice to me". | During the conversation her daughter told her that Mr Bridger "is really nice to me". |
| The jury later heard a written statement from a teacher at April's school who spent 10 minutes with Mr Bridger at a parents' evening discussing his daughter. | The jury later heard a written statement from a teacher at April's school who spent 10 minutes with Mr Bridger at a parents' evening 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 heard how two witnesses saw Mr Bridger driving erratically leaving the school and around the area of the Bryn-Y-Gog estate later that day. | The jury heard how two witnesses saw Mr Bridger driving erratically leaving the school and around the area of the Bryn-Y-Gog estate later that day. |
| One of those witnesses said Mr Bridger had been driving on the wrong side of the road heading towards the Bryn-Y-Gog estate before swerving back onto the right side. | One of those witnesses said Mr Bridger had been driving on the wrong side of the road heading towards the Bryn-Y-Gog estate before swerving back onto the right side. |
| The court also heard how a woman described Mr Bridger as wearing camouflage trousers, boots and a grey jumper on the day April went missing. | |
| He was also seen reversing behind a BT van on the estate by another witness who described seeing "three little girls on bikes". | He was also seen reversing behind a BT van on the estate by another witness who described seeing "three little girls on bikes". |
| The witness later realised one of them was April Jones after seeing media coverage of her disappearance. | The witness later realised one of them was April Jones after seeing media coverage of her disappearance. |
| Another witness, in written evidence, saw a vehicle driven off at speed from the area at about 19:10 and, having seen a picture of Mr Bridger's vehicle in the media, confirmed it was the same as the one she had seen. | Another witness, in written evidence, saw a vehicle driven off at speed from the area at about 19:10 and, having seen a picture of Mr Bridger's vehicle in the media, confirmed it was the same as the one she had seen. |
| After the case resumed following lunch, a resident of the defendant's village said she was arriving home at about 20:34 but was forced to stop suddenly because there was a stationary car across the road. | |
| It was a left-hand drive 4x4, she said, and it was then reversed on to Mr Bridger's drive. | |
| She said she saw "the back of a man" looking behind but did not see anyone else in the vehicle. | |
| 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. |
| The defendant also denies intending to pervert the course of justice. | The defendant also denies intending to pervert the course of justice. |
| The case continues. | The case continues. |