Deceased/Not Found UK - April Jones, 5, Machynlleth, Wales, 1 Oct 2012 #3 *M. Bridger guilty*

[LegallyBrunette]

When MB moved to Mach, he told people that he had previously been in the Army but had left due to back problems. The media tried to check this out with the MoD who said they had no record of MB having been in any of the UK armed forces.

He might be a bit of a BS artist. - actually.... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...spect-Mark-Bridger-was-weapons-collector.html

When Mr Bridger first arrived in Machynlleth, he told locals he had left the Army because of a back problem, but the Ministry of Defence said yesterday it had no record of him serving in any branch of the Armed Forces.

After working as a lifeguard at the leisure centre that has now become the gathering point for April’s search parties, Mr Bridger worked as a porter at the Wynnstay Hotel in Machynlleth, where he had a reputation for being “the sort of bloke who would walk in and start talking about how he had done everything and bought the T-shirt”, according to one former colleague.

“Everything you had done, he had done better than you.”

 

[Insp.Dots]

Absolutely! But quite seperate from the mother's needs, right now I am concerned that April *may* still be alive and in need of rescuing, and all the time everyone is assuming the police know for sure she is dead and are just looking for a dumped body, the public have not been keeping their eyes peeled for a live 5yr old being carted around by strangers, possibly even in Algeria or Australia by now!

Yes you're right...the more information comes, the more confusion but with so many still thinking she may be alive you would think the police would put some kind of statement out to stop this, instead the message being sent is 'there is hope' and as you said IF alive she could be in another country by now or being subjected to God knows what!!!

 

[LegallyBrunette]

Yes you're right...the more information comes, the more confusion but with so many still thinking she may be alive you would think the police would put some kind of statement out to stop this, instead the message being sent is 'there is hope' and as you said IF alive she could be in another country by now or being subjected to God knows what!!!

I don't understand why they would charge him with murder and attempt to pervert the course of justice by hiding a body if they didn't have some good evidence to support it.

 

[Somerset_sleuth]

I agree, it's all sketchy, but she must have seen the front of the vehicle to some degree as apparently she knew the front was lower than the back and also she gave details of the man to the police, which they never gave out. Unless that's fabrication on the part of the press, but we have read this early on.

Right but the child witness never said it was a LHD, she just said AJ got into the drivers side and because of that police stated it could have been a LHD, if she was able to give details of the man & the front of the car then she would have seen where he was sitting in the car.

It seems like the police latched on to it possibly being a LHD and as MB was the only person the family knew with a LHD he had to be involved.

IMO its more probable it was a RHD & a white or grey van as the child first stated, AJ also said " its ok I know them" but kids only have to meet someone once to think they know them, it may be someone who simply smiled at AJ in the local shop a couple of times, if it was MB the other child probably would have known him too.

 

[Clio]

Can only imagine how confusing it is for children, read that MB has 6 by 3 women, 2 of the women live nearby, one of them has another child from a new relationship.

There have been varying reports as to how many children MB has. IIRC only 4 have been named.

It has been reported that he had 3 children from his first marriage to JW - two of those children have been named. He met JW in 1989, they married in 1990 and split up in 1992. The 19 year old son was badgered by the press on TV following April's disappearance. He only found out in that last few months that MB was his father.

Then MB got together with ED nee EG and had two more children (9 & 13 years old). After they spilt up EG married RD and had a daughter initials also ED (4 years old)

He has since had two other partners, CR and VF. He had been with VF for about 11 months before splitting up with her recently. VF is the person who told the press about the 7 year old MH who saw April getting into a vehicle on the night she was last seen.

 

[Insp.Dots]

But witnesses are named and their words in quotation marks telling how she had been in the car recently


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...is-Land-Rover-two-days-before-kidnapping.html

AF is the sister of VF who spoke to the press saying a 7 yr old had told them....
I think this may be a bit of a case of chinese whispers as in another version of events one of the three girls denied this had ever happened. similar to when it was reported there were 3 girls playing at time of AJ getting in car when in fact the third girl ED, Elaines (daughter) was already in her home as she wanted to go home as it was too cold. The other two walked her home, and AJ was taken moments later.
I don't think we are going to know the truth until the court case, and even then we may not hear.
There are so many confusing and conflicting stories it is impossible to work out. IMO

 

[Amber34]

There have been certain items in the press about MB that I have never heard clarified. I wonder if anyone can point me in the right direction regarding these 'facts'

'Fact' 1: MB allegedly said he had been in the armed forces but MoD deny it. The only reports I have seen of the MoD denying have been in the tabloids, eg, from the DailyMail "It had been reported that Bridger was a former soldier, but the Ministry of Defence said that he had never been a member of the armed forces" 'It had been reported that' quite clearly isn't a fact and the vague reference to the MoD denial isn't substantiated, but I wondered if anyone knew of any better sources for this information.

'Fact' 2: MB had 6 children. The only ones I have read about are the first child, now 19 and estranged and the two mentioned in the latest Telegraph family tree, children of ED (as she now is). He did not have children with VF as theirs was a shorter relationship, so I seem to have lost a girlfriend and 3 kids somewhere along the line. :waitasec:

TIA

 

[webnut]

3 with jw
2 with ed

Leaves 1 unnamed and mother unknown if he does have 6 children

Sent from my mobile phone using Tapatalk

 

[Clutchbag]

AF is the sister of VF who spoke to the press saying a 7 yr old had told them....
I think this may be a bit of a case of chinese whispers as in another version of events one of the three girls denied this had ever happened. similar to when it was reported there were 3 girls playing at time of AJ getting in car when in fact the third girl ED, Elaines (daughter) was already in her home as she wanted to go home as it was too cold. The other two walked her home, and AJ was taken moments later.
I don't think we are going to know the truth until the court case, and even then we may not hear.
There are so many confusing and conflicting stories it is impossible to work out. IMO

Yes, chinese whispers, misquoting, misreporting, vague reporting, we have to be wary of that too, thanks.

Amber, this article gives the info you are after

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...spect-Mark-Bridger-was-weapons-collector.html

 

[Clio]

Yes you're right...the more information comes, the more confusion but with so many still thinking she may be alive you would think the police would put some kind of statement out to stop this, instead the message being sent is 'there is hope' and as you said IF alive she could be in another country by now or being subjected to God knows what!!!

If, as it seems, the police have evidence of death, I don't understand how that police chaplain was allowed to say what he did. I may be wrong but I don't believe that LE will make a statement confirming she is dead before the trial.

I don't understand why they would charge him with murder and attempt to pervert the course of justice by hiding a body if they didn't have some good evidence to support it.

It's rare for UK LE to try and convict someone of murder when no body is found. It's pretty much unheard of in the case of the murder of a 5 year old child. So either they have pretty concrete evidence already or they have just enough for the CPS to allow them to charge someone and they are frantically searching to find more. I find it a little hard to believe that LE are continuing to put so much resource into finding a body *soley* so that her family can lay her to rest.

 

[Inge Jones]

For all we know, the murder charge may be dropped at any time until the trial. The abduction alone is enough to try him on and keep him in custody.

 

[Alyce]

Re the children
There are so many varying reports re this, all from the quotes of neighbours and locals as far as I can see

He is supposed to have had 3 children with JW, but I have only seen one named - the 19 year old son, who must surely be the youngest of these 3, being as MB and JW split in 1992.

I do find it slightly unusual that no mention has been made of the other 2 children, as they must be around the same age as the 19 year old - being as MB got together with JW in 1989 and had split from her in 1992, so not much time to have 3 children.

 

[Amber34]

Yes, chinese whispers, misquoting, misreporting, vague reporting, we have to be wary of that too, thanks.

Amber, this article gives the info you are after

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...spect-Mark-Bridger-was-weapons-collector.html

So basically, none of these 'facts' have been verified - just the three children and the rest are merely hinted at.

I might check the BMD registers later if I have the time

 

[LegallyBrunette]

If, as it seems, the police have evidence of death, I don't understand how that police chaplain was allowed to say what he did. I may be wrong but I don't believe that LE will make a statement confirming she is dead before the trial.



It's rare for UK LE to try and convict someone of murder when no body is found. It's pretty much unheard of in the case of the murder of a 5 year old child. So either they have pretty concrete evidence already or they have just enough for the CPS to allow them to charge someone and they are frantically searching to find more. I find it a little hard to believe that LE are continuing to put so much resource into finding a body *soley* so that her family can lay her to rest.

One of the papers said he was first charged only with abduction, then police added the other two charges.

 

[Clio]

3 with jw
2 with ed

Leaves 1 unnamed and mother unknown if he does have 6 children

Sent from my mobile phone using Tapatalk

I have only seen 2 of MB/JW's children named in MSM. Both male and both with forenames starting with S. I must have missed where the 3rd child was named.

 

[Amber34]

Re the children
There are so many varying reports re this, all from the quotes of neighbours and locals as far as I can see

He is supposed to have had 3 children with JW, but I have only seen one named - the 19 year old son, who must surely be the youngest of these 3, being as MB and JW split in 1992.

I do find it slightly unusual that no mention has been made of the other 2 children, as they must be around the same age as the 19 year old - being as MB got together with JW in 1989 and had split from her in 1992, so not much time to have 3 children.

I was under the impression from the start that there was just the one child from that relationship - your dates seem to confirm that, but I'll have a look later

 

[Mrs P]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...spect-Mark-Bridger-was-weapons-collector.html



Just wondered if anyone knew any more about this, I haven't heard one report from anyone saying they played cricket/darts with MB or about him being a regular in Pub.....Maybe just because people don't want to be connected in anyway but I know from doing Tea's for my ex husbands Cricket team they were a hive of conversation and everyone was very friendly....

MB doesn't come across (by reports) to me as being a loner or anti-social, the fact one of his own family members said he was a fantasist and that he told many he was ex army...sounds to me like he was trying to fit in and wanted to be liked. It is also said he was a ladies man, which makes sense judging by the amount of partners he had.

From everything I've read I don't see pre-meditated murder somehow, rather taking AJ as an act of revenge or payback that has gone horribly wrong.
On the other hand the word 'horrific' has been used several times and I wonder if MB is a Psychopath...all my own opinion for course, The Truth will out as they say!!:banghead:

MB was also a regular at The Skinners Arms. Playing pool and socialising. Cannot comment on recent times...

 

[Clio]

One of the papers said he was first charged only with abduction, then police added the other two charges.

That's not quite right. He was arrested at 3:30pm on Tuesday 2nd on suspicion of child abduction. On Friday 5th, it was announced at a press conference that he was now being held on suspicion of murder.

He was finally charged on Saturday 6th on three counts, namely Child Abduction, Murder and Perverting the Course of Justice. The latter charge was further clarified as unlawfully disposing and concealing a body

 

[Insp.Dots]

But witnesses are named and their words in quotation marks telling how she had been in the car recently


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...is-Land-Rover-two-days-before-kidnapping.html

Yes I'm not disputing they said it, but I'm not sure that they heard the information 1st hand if you know what I mean

 

[Cherwell]

I was under the impression from the start that there was just the one child from that relationship - your dates seem to confirm that, but I'll have a look later

It's possible that while JW may have had 3 children, only one (or two?) were MB's. If she already had a young child or children when they got together, someone may have later assumed that they were all MB's.