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| April Jones murder case: Court to hear police evidence | April Jones murder case: Court to hear police evidence |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| The police officer who arrested a man accused of murdering five-year-old April Jones in a sexually motivated attack is expected to give evidence in his trial. | The police officer who arrested a man accused of murdering five-year-old April Jones in a sexually motivated attack is expected to give evidence in his trial. |
| April disappeared near her home in Machynlleth, Powys, on 1 October, 2012 and has never been found. | April disappeared near her home in Machynlleth, Powys, on 1 October, 2012 and has never been found. |
| Mark Bridger, 47, of nearby Ceinws, denies abducting and murdering April. | Mark Bridger, 47, of nearby Ceinws, denies abducting and murdering April. |
| On Friday, Mold Crown Court heard he took his car to a garage on 2 October and the clerk noticed he looked upset. | |
| April, who had mild cerebral palsy, went missing near her home while playing on her bike with friends. | April, who had mild cerebral palsy, went missing near her home while playing on her bike with friends. |
| The court has been told by the prosecution that Mr Bridger murdered April and traces of her blood were found at his cottage. | The court has been told by the prosecution that Mr Bridger murdered April 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. |
| He claims he cannot remember what he did with her body because he was drunk. | He claims he cannot remember what he did with her body because he was drunk. |
| The court heard written evidence on Friday from Sophy Zlavic, an office clerk at Dyfi Autocraft in Machynlleth, who told how Mr Bridger brought his Land Rover in at about 09:30 the morning after April went missing. | |
| She immediately recognised the vehicle because it had failed an MoT about two weeks earlier. | |
| She told how Mr Bridger had said: "I've just heard, I haven't got TV or radio up there". She believed he was talking about April. | |
| Ms Zlavic said he "looked visibly upset and was teary-eyed when he said this but he didn't mention April by name". | |
| She said everybody locally had been upset by April's disappearance but added: "I found it odd that he was so upset by it all" and he looked "on the verge of crying as he spoke about it". | |
| A mechanic said he kept asking how much his vehicle would cost to repair and when he could have it back. He appeared "nervous and edgy". | |
| Garage owner Robert Evans said he remembered Mr Bridger in the morning telling him he "knew nothing" about April going missing. | |
| Mr Bridger returned to the garage between 13:00 and 13:30 and appeared "normal", said Mr Evans. | |
| The garage owner said it was difficult to open certain doors in the vehicle which he added was a common problem with the Land Rover Discovery. He said a child would have had difficulty opening them. | |
| The hearing opened on Friday with written evidence from a girl who saw Mr Bridger reversing into his drive on the evening April disappeared. | |
| The girl, who was travelling in a car with her mother, who gave similar evidence on Thursday, said she could not see anybody else in his vehicle. | |
| Bin bag | |
| On Thursday, the jury watched a video of a 10-year-old girl telling police she was asked to a sleepover by Mr Bridger on the night April disappeared. | On Thursday, the jury watched a video of a 10-year-old girl telling police she was asked to a sleepover by Mr Bridger on the night April disappeared. |
| No firm arrangements were made and the defendant eventually drove off. | No firm arrangements were made and the defendant eventually drove off. |
| The jury later heard from a witness who saw Mr Bridger carrying a bin bag near to where he had parked his car the morning after April had disappeared. | The jury later heard from a witness who saw Mr Bridger carrying a bin bag near to where he had parked his car the morning after April had disappeared. |
| 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". |
| The court was also told that Mr Bridger told a volunteer in a group looking for April that he had been searching most of the night. | The court was also told that Mr Bridger told a volunteer in a group looking for April that he had been searching most of the night. |
| But he told another volunteer he had only found out about her disappearance that morning. | But he told another volunteer he had only found out about her disappearance that morning. |
| The defendant also denies intending to pervert the course of justice. | The defendant also denies intending to pervert the course of justice. |