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| Mark Bridger joined search for missing April Jones, murder trial told | Mark Bridger joined search for missing April Jones, murder trial told |
| (12 days later) | |
| The man accused of abducting and murdering April Jones joined the search for the five-year-old girl on the afternoon after she went missing, a jury has been told. | The man accused of abducting and murdering April Jones joined the search for the five-year-old girl on the afternoon after she went missing, a jury has been told. |
| Mark Bridger met a 20-strong group looking for April on a riverbank less than an hour before he was arrested, Mold crown court heard. | Mark Bridger met a 20-strong group looking for April on a riverbank less than an hour before he was arrested, Mold crown court heard. |
| He told the searchers he had been out looking for April all night, but then contradicted himself and said he had only heard that she was missing at 9.30 that morning. As he walked off he wished the searchers good luck, it was claimed. | He told the searchers he had been out looking for April all night, but then contradicted himself and said he had only heard that she was missing at 9.30 that morning. As he walked off he wished the searchers good luck, it was claimed. |
| The jury also heard from a woman who says she saw Bridger, a former slaughterman and lifeguard, carrying a black bin bag the morning after April disappeared. She said she was sure there was "something" in the bag. In addition, they watched a video of a police interview with a 10-year-old girl who said she found it "odd" that Bridger allegedly asked if she would like to go for a sleepover on the evening April went missing. | The jury also heard from a woman who says she saw Bridger, a former slaughterman and lifeguard, carrying a black bin bag the morning after April disappeared. She said she was sure there was "something" in the bag. In addition, they watched a video of a police interview with a 10-year-old girl who said she found it "odd" that Bridger allegedly asked if she would like to go for a sleepover on the evening April went missing. |
| Bridger, 47, 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, 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 claimed his motive was sexual but Bridger claims 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 claimed his motive was sexual but Bridger claims he accidentally knocked April over in his Land Rover, panicked, put the body in the vehicle and cannot remember what he did with it. |
| Among the many people looking for April on 2 October was Keiran Gregory. In a statement read to the jury, he said Bridger, who was wearing a camouflage jacket, joined his search party at around 2.10pm. | Among the many people looking for April on 2 October was Keiran Gregory. In a statement read to the jury, he said Bridger, who was wearing a camouflage jacket, joined his search party at around 2.10pm. |
| Bridger told them he had been searching "most of the night" and had a torch in his pocket. But Bridger also said he had only heard at 9.30 that morning that April had gone, Gregory said. | Bridger told them he had been searching "most of the night" and had a torch in his pocket. But Bridger also said he had only heard at 9.30 that morning that April had gone, Gregory said. |
| Gregory said that after Bridger was arrested "it dawned on me how strange his conversation had been on the riverbank. He said he had been searching all night but then said he had not found out until 9.30 next morning, which did not add up." | Gregory said that after Bridger was arrested "it dawned on me how strange his conversation had been on the riverbank. He said he had been searching all night but then said he had not found out until 9.30 next morning, which did not add up." |
| The searchers also noticed that Bridger appeared freshly shaven and his clothes were clean, though the area around Machynlleth was muddy. Bridger is said to have searched for a few minutes before he wished them "luck" and left, explaining that he was going to the leisure centre, where the hunt for April was being co-ordinated. He was arrested nearby at 3pm. | The searchers also noticed that Bridger appeared freshly shaven and his clothes were clean, though the area around Machynlleth was muddy. Bridger is said to have searched for a few minutes before he wished them "luck" and left, explaining that he was going to the leisure centre, where the hunt for April was being co-ordinated. He was arrested nearby at 3pm. |
| Carwen Sheen told the jury that she had been out searching at around 9am on 2 October when she spotted Bridger near the village of Ceinws, where he lived. "He was holding a black bin bag," she said. " It was rolled up. It was wrapped like a sausage. There was a bit hanging down like it was not wrapped fully." Asked if the bag looked empty or full, she said: "I'd say there was something in it. Not very big but there was something in it." | Carwen Sheen told the jury that she had been out searching at around 9am on 2 October when she spotted Bridger near the village of Ceinws, where he lived. "He was holding a black bin bag," she said. " It was rolled up. It was wrapped like a sausage. There was a bit hanging down like it was not wrapped fully." Asked if the bag looked empty or full, she said: "I'd say there was something in it. Not very big but there was something in it." |
| The jury watched the video of a police interview with a 10-year-old girl whom Bridger allegedly approached shortly before April vanished. | The jury watched the video of a police interview with a 10-year-old girl whom Bridger allegedly approached shortly before April vanished. |
| The girl told the officer she was a "very good friend" of Bridger's daughter. She said that around "five-ish" on the evening of April's disappearance she saw Bridger on the Bryn-Y-Gog estate. "I saw Mark in his car," she said. | The girl told the officer she was a "very good friend" of Bridger's daughter. She said that around "five-ish" on the evening of April's disappearance she saw Bridger on the Bryn-Y-Gog estate. "I saw Mark in his car," she said. |
| Bridger wound the window down and spoke to her. "He offered me to have a sleepover with his daughter". | Bridger wound the window down and spoke to her. "He offered me to have a sleepover with his daughter". |
| The girl said Bridger had always been "very nice" to her; he always said: "Hi" and asked her what she was doing. But she said: "It was odd that he offered me a sleepover. I said: 'That would be great.' He said: 'That's sorted then.'" The girl said he drove off the estate. | The girl said Bridger had always been "very nice" to her; he always said: "Hi" and asked her what she was doing. But she said: "It was odd that he offered me a sleepover. I said: 'That would be great.' He said: 'That's sorted then.'" The girl said he drove off the estate. |
| She and the eight-year-old friend she was with rode on their bicycles to another part of Machynlleth. Again she saw Bridger parked up in his car. | She and the eight-year-old friend she was with rode on their bicycles to another part of Machynlleth. Again she saw Bridger parked up in his car. |
| "He was lying down with a newspaper on his lap," the girl said in the police interview. "He was talking into a walkie-talkie. He was acting really odd." The girl said he saw her and gave her a "thumbs up". She and her friend cycled home "really fast." She said it had been "a bit weird" and after dinner she went out again to see if she could see him but could not. | "He was lying down with a newspaper on his lap," the girl said in the police interview. "He was talking into a walkie-talkie. He was acting really odd." The girl said he saw her and gave her a "thumbs up". She and her friend cycled home "really fast." She said it had been "a bit weird" and after dinner she went out again to see if she could see him but could not. |
| The trial continues. | The trial continues. |
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