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| April Jones murder case: Shouts for April at suspect's home | April Jones murder case: Shouts for April at suspect's home |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A police officer has told a jury how she shouted April Jones's name as she searched for the five-year-old at the home of the man accused of her murder. | A police officer has told a jury how she shouted April Jones's name as she searched for the five-year-old at the home of the man accused of her murder. |
| Det Con Sarah Totterdale was sent to Mark Bridger's home in Ceinws, Powys, to help arrest him and find April. | |
| She told Mold Crown Court how she had shouted "April, April" but there was no response. | She told Mold Crown Court how she had shouted "April, April" but there was no response. |
| Mr Bridger denies abducting and murdering April, who went missing near her Machynlleth home on 1 October 2012. | Mr Bridger denies abducting and murdering April, who went missing near her Machynlleth home on 1 October 2012. |
| She has never been found. | |
| 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 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. | |
| The jury was told on Friday that Det Con Totterdale was sent to Mr Bridger's cottage at about 14:45 on 2 October, arriving in an unmarked vehicle with two other officers. | |
| When they arrived at 15:03 no vehicles were at the property. | When they arrived at 15:03 no vehicles were at the property. |
| The officer told how she went to the living room and immediately saw a log burner "glowing an orange colour". She said the heat was "noticeable" as soon as she went in. | The officer told how she went to the living room and immediately saw a log burner "glowing an orange colour". She said the heat was "noticeable" as soon as she went in. |
| Chemical smell | Chemical smell |
| Her colleague told her to call for April because she might respond to a female voice. | Her colleague told her to call for April because she might respond to a female voice. |
| Det Con Totterdale said she shouted "April, April". | Det Con Totterdale said she shouted "April, April". |
| She went upstairs into the main bedroom and began moving clothes to see if April was hiding. | She went upstairs into the main bedroom and began moving clothes to see if April was hiding. |
| She said there was a strong smell of washed clothes and washing powder downstairs. There was also a chemical smell in the air. | She said there was a strong smell of washed clothes and washing powder downstairs. There was also a chemical smell in the air. |
| Describing the fire, she said: "It hadn't just been lit. This fire had obviously been burning for some time." | Describing the fire, she said: "It hadn't just been lit. This fire had obviously been burning for some time." |
| "It was uncomfortably hot because I was perspiring in the room and I only had a thin raincoat on," she added. | "It was uncomfortably hot because I was perspiring in the room and I only had a thin raincoat on," she added. |
| Det Con Totterdale said officers searched the attic and used a torch to search the chimney but there was no sign of April or Mr Bridger. | Det Con Totterdale said officers searched the attic and used a torch to search the chimney but there was no sign of April or Mr Bridger. |
| Cross-examined by Brendan Kelly QC, for the defence, she said the smell of cleaning products and detergent appeared strong in the living room and towards the bathroom. | Cross-examined by Brendan Kelly QC, for the defence, she said the smell of cleaning products and detergent appeared strong in the living room and towards the bathroom. |
| Mr Kelly has suggested the wood burner at the property was also used to heat the water and central heating. | Mr Kelly has suggested the wood burner at the property was also used to heat the water and central heating. |
| Written evidence from other officers also suggested the house was "uncomfortably warm" and there was a strong smell of cleaning products. | |
| Earlier on Friday, the court heard Mr Bridger had taken his car to a garage on 2 October and the clerk noticed he looked upset. | Earlier on Friday, the court heard Mr Bridger had taken his car to a garage on 2 October and the clerk noticed he looked upset. |
| 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. | 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 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. | 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". | 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". | 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". | 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. | 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. | 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 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 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. | 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 | 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. |