Man accused of murdering five-year-old girl says he wanted her to have 'peace and quiet'
The man accused of abducting and murdering April Jones told a court he lay the five-year-old girl on his living room floor to give her some "peace and quiet" and keep her warm – even though he claims she was dead by this point.
During his second day in the witness box, Mark Bridger conceded he looked at a cartoon image of a girl being restrained and sexually abused on the day April vanished, but denied he was sexually frustrated following a split-up with his girlfriend.
Bridger, a 47-year-old former lifeguard and slaughterman, also accused a seven-year-old girl who told the jury she saw April happily getting into his Land Rover of lying.
He continued to tell Mold crown court that he accidentally knocked April over and put her into his car before driving off in a panic and subsequently forgetting where he left the body.
The prosecution claims that he abducted April from near her home in Machynlleth, mid Wales, and murdered her in a sexually motivated attack. It alleges he concealed, disposed of or destroyed her body. Bridger denies all the offences.
During police interviews Bridger maintained he did not believe April had been in his house, Mount Pleasant in the village of Ceinws, three miles from Machynlleth.
But on Thursday he told the court that "dreams and images" of what may have happened there had come to him over the months.
For the first time he said he had a recollection of holding April and putting her on the floor of his living room, where her blood was found soaked through to the underside of the carpet and where fragments of bone that the prosecution claims may be from a child were discovered in the log burner.
Bridger said she was dead but "in some silly" way he may have hoped that by laying her in front of his fire he may have given her "peace and quiet" and kept her warm.
Elwen Evans QC, for the prosecution, pointed out that he had then put her outside in the cold. "I don't know what I did next," Bridger said.
He told the court he did not believe he had disposed of April's body. He thought "disposed" a "horrible way of putting it" and added: "I placed her somewhere."
The defendant and prosecutor often clashed over Bridger's use of language.
At one point Bridger rejected the claim he had "killed" the girl. "I caused the death of April. I did not kill her," he said.
Bridger said there was "no DNA evidence" of any sexual contact between him and April.
Evans asked him if he had been "sexually frustrated" on 1 October when April was last seen alive. He said: "Not at all.""Did you look at an image of child pornography?""Yes."
Bridger claimed that the seven-year-old witness was lying when she said April got into his Land Rover. He said: "I believe she has been influenced," though he did not say by whom.
Evans said to Bridger: "You will say any lie that you think will save your skin." Bridger replied: "No."
He said he could not remember having April in his car after passing a monument a few minutes' drive from where she was last seen. He said: "I have a dead child that I have killed in my car. I had pins and needles. I felt sick. I felt numb."
Evans asked him if the focus was on him. "The focus has always been on little April," he said.
Questioned about his collection of knives, blades and axes, Bridger told the court he loved bushcraft. He said the implements were tools, not weapons. He argued that a utensil described by the prosecution as a "boning knife" was a standard kitchen knife.
The trial continues.
Steven Morris
guardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Reported by guardian.co.uk 20 hours ago.
The man accused of abducting and murdering April Jones told a court he lay the five-year-old girl on his living room floor to give her some "peace and quiet" and keep her warm – even though he claims she was dead by this point.
During his second day in the witness box, Mark Bridger conceded he looked at a cartoon image of a girl being restrained and sexually abused on the day April vanished, but denied he was sexually frustrated following a split-up with his girlfriend.
Bridger, a 47-year-old former lifeguard and slaughterman, also accused a seven-year-old girl who told the jury she saw April happily getting into his Land Rover of lying.
He continued to tell Mold crown court that he accidentally knocked April over and put her into his car before driving off in a panic and subsequently forgetting where he left the body.
The prosecution claims that he abducted April from near her home in Machynlleth, mid Wales, and murdered her in a sexually motivated attack. It alleges he concealed, disposed of or destroyed her body. Bridger denies all the offences.
During police interviews Bridger maintained he did not believe April had been in his house, Mount Pleasant in the village of Ceinws, three miles from Machynlleth.
But on Thursday he told the court that "dreams and images" of what may have happened there had come to him over the months.
For the first time he said he had a recollection of holding April and putting her on the floor of his living room, where her blood was found soaked through to the underside of the carpet and where fragments of bone that the prosecution claims may be from a child were discovered in the log burner.
Bridger said she was dead but "in some silly" way he may have hoped that by laying her in front of his fire he may have given her "peace and quiet" and kept her warm.
Elwen Evans QC, for the prosecution, pointed out that he had then put her outside in the cold. "I don't know what I did next," Bridger said.
He told the court he did not believe he had disposed of April's body. He thought "disposed" a "horrible way of putting it" and added: "I placed her somewhere."
The defendant and prosecutor often clashed over Bridger's use of language.
At one point Bridger rejected the claim he had "killed" the girl. "I caused the death of April. I did not kill her," he said.
Bridger said there was "no DNA evidence" of any sexual contact between him and April.
Evans asked him if he had been "sexually frustrated" on 1 October when April was last seen alive. He said: "Not at all.""Did you look at an image of child pornography?""Yes."
Bridger claimed that the seven-year-old witness was lying when she said April got into his Land Rover. He said: "I believe she has been influenced," though he did not say by whom.
Evans said to Bridger: "You will say any lie that you think will save your skin." Bridger replied: "No."
He said he could not remember having April in his car after passing a monument a few minutes' drive from where she was last seen. He said: "I have a dead child that I have killed in my car. I had pins and needles. I felt sick. I felt numb."
Evans asked him if the focus was on him. "The focus has always been on little April," he said.
Questioned about his collection of knives, blades and axes, Bridger told the court he loved bushcraft. He said the implements were tools, not weapons. He argued that a utensil described by the prosecution as a "boning knife" was a standard kitchen knife.
The trial continues.
Steven Morris
guardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Reported by guardian.co.uk 20 hours ago.