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30 Apr 2013

April Jones murder trial: court hears of ‘sexual motive’

Mark Bridger, the former abattoir worker accused of abducting and murdering schoolgirl April Jones, had “a clear interest in child pornography and in child murder cases”, a court hears.

Jurors were also told how traces of blood matching April’s DNA were found in Bridger’s living room, hallway and bathroom.

Mark Bridger, 47, is on trial at Mold crown court accused of murdering the five-year-old and then playing a “cruel game” in an attempt to cover his tracks.

Child pornography

Opening the case for the prosecution, Elwen Evans QC, told the jury: “In addition to child pornography and photos of young girls, the defendant also had an interest in child murder and rape cases; for example, images of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman from the Soham case.

“You will have to decide whether pretty five-year-old April Jones was abducted and murdered or run over by accident and killed, as the defendant says.

“We say his interest in pornography, young girls, rape and murder cases is all too relevant and you may see it as the key to understanding what he did and why he did what he did.”

The court was told that Bridger was seen putting April in his Land Rover.

‘Happy and smiling’

Ms Evans said that on the day she was abducted April was “happy and smiling” when she was seen getting into Bridger’s car by her friend, who also saw Bridger speaking to the child.

The court heard her disappearance had sparked “the largest search in British history”.

April vanished while playing on her bike near her home in Machynlleth, mid-Wales, on 1 October last year and her body has never been found.

Ms Evans said Bridger has not told police where the body is.

She said: “He says to us that he does not know, that he cannot remember.

“The prosecution case is this: that Mark Bridger abducted April, that he murdered her and that he went to enormous lengths to try to cover up what he had done.

“It’s our case that the defendant’s actions – abduction, murder, covering up what he has done – that his actions were sexually motivated.”

The disappearance of April, who had cerebral palsy, sparked a massive outpouring of support for her family, with hundreds of people joining the search.

Bridger, of Ceinws, denies abducting and murdering April, and unlawfully disposing of and concealing her body with intent to pervert the course of justice.

Ms Evans said Bridger claims to police that he ran over April in his Land Rover, put her in his car and drove her around the village with her “dead or dying” in his car.

Drink, adrenalin and panic

She went on: “Thereafter he doesn’t know, he can’t remember what he did to April.

“He can’t remember because of a combination of drink, adrenaline and raw panic.”

Ms Evans said analysis of Bridger’s computer use showed “context and motive” for his behaviour towards April.

The jury heard some of the search terms found on Bridger’s laptop included “Naked young five-year-old girls” and “nudism five-year-old” and “France: British schoolgirl raped and murdered”.

Miss Evans said bone fragments consistent with being from a juvenile skull were found around the hearth at Bridger’s home. When police searched former abattoir slaughterman Bridger’s house, he had carried out an “extensive clean-up” – but failed to get rid of all the evidence.

Around the wood burner were a number of knives, including a boning knife, which was badly burnt.

Bridger wiped tears from his eyes and took deep breaths as the court was played a harrowing 999 call made by April’s mother Coral Jones.

Mrs Jones could be heard saying: “Please… please my daughter has been kidnapped… my daughter.”

The call was then taken over by a neighbour who said: “Apparently what happened… She has gone off in a car with somebody. Somebody has picked her up in a car or something. I have not seen anything, I have just been told.”

The neighbour then tells the police operator that April was taken in a “big grey car that a man was driving”.

She said April’s mother, father and a neighbour were out looking for her.

The operator then asks to speak to Coral again and there is a series of long pauses in which people can be heard crying and hyperventilating in a state of distress.

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