Deceased/Not Found UK - April Jones, 5, Machynlleth, Wales, 1 Oct 2012 #4 *M. Bridger guilty*

[SheepMan]

Begging your pardon. I meant "driving against traffic" to mean driving on the wrong side of the road, whether there was actually any traffic or not. The term refers to being in the wrong lane; going the wrong way. When a ticket is written for such an offense it says, "driving against traffic." even if you are alone on the road.

In the UK it's not like the US or Australia where you can't park on the opposite side of the road (ie the right hand side as you drive). Not that it matters as the car was parked at the garages, just clarifying a slight difference in Road rules/etiquette in the UK compared to other countries.

 

[LegallyBrunette]

In the UK it's not like the US or Australia where you can't park on the opposite side of the road (ie the right hand side as you drive). Not that it matters as the car was parked at the garages, just clarifying a slight difference in Road rules/etiquette in the UK compared to other countries.

In Ireland they park where they like

 

[veggiefan]

It was the set of garages I have circled that were shown to be cordoned off with police tape. If I can find a picture I will post it for you.

I posted a picture of the garages cordoned off by the police in post 448 yesterday:

I don't think there's any doubt that they are the ones circled on the map and not the little group of garages close to AJ's house.

 

[Clutchbag]

It was the set of garages I have circled that were shown to be cordoned off with police tape. If I can find a picture I will post it for you.

Mornng all

The cordoned off area showed a double row of garages leading onto a main road, the block behind the jones house is just one block isnt it? I also think the circled area and the purple cross in the previous post is correct.

re the old man, he said they were going up and down the street on their bikes, what street?

From all these pictures it seems there was a street running perpendicular to the garages at both ends?

 

[Blunomore]

Surely someone must have known MB's new address? So if the LE was already informed on Monday night of the suspicion that MB took AJ, surely they would have gone to his house to try and find him/AJ?

 

[UKgirl]

Perhaps the vehicle was brought over by a Polish worker, do they make them different for the Polish market?

its spanish registered

 

[UKgirl]

Not a direct comparison - that's the 94-97 facelift model.

However, this one's the same as MB's and although I obviously need to withdraw my comments about the bonnet (my apologies folks!) I'm still looking for a clear answer about the instrument pod and steering wheel. Any takers?

I googled it and i found a couple of pics. Forgive me if its the wrong make of LR.

http://www.thornhamcarsales.co.uk/used-cars/land-rover-discovery-3-5-v8i-3dr-oldham-201222474297628

This one shows the interior. Are you referring to the left hand drive aspect, or the fact the dashboard is different.


Taken from a Landrover history website.


In 1994, many changes were made to the Discovery I and reached some markets as "Discovery 2"; the 200Tdi and 3.5L V8 engines were replaced with the 2.5L 300TDi 4-cylinder and 3.9L Rover V8 engines, the 300Tdi introducing a Bosch electronic emissions control for certain models and markets. At around this time a stronger R380 gearbox was fitted to all manual models combined with the flexible cardan coupling GAJ-1 from SGF for more comfort. The newer models featured larger headlamps and a second set of rear lights in the bumper. The new rear lights had the wiring changed several times to meet real or expected European safety legislation. Some vehicles are left with an arrangement where the vulnerable bumper contains the only working direction-indicator lights; other examples have these lights duplicated in the traditional rear pillar location.

The designers of the original model had been forced to economise and use the "parts-bin" of the then parent-company, Rover. The 200 series used the basic bodyshell structure from the Range Rover, door handles from the Morris Marina, tail lights from the Austin Maestro van, and interior switchgear and instrumentation from the Rover "parts bin". The favour was returned when the facelifted Discovery dashboard was also fitted as part of the final facelift to the first-generation Range Rover, though with minor differences reflecting the vehicle's higher status, such as an analogue rather than digital clock.

1994 (model year) marked the first year that the Discovery was sold in the United States. Airbags were incorporated into the design of the 1995 model to meet the requirements of US motor vehicle regulations, though they were not fitted as standard in all markets. 1995 models sold in the US utilised the 3.9L V8 from the Range Rover SE models, later models saw a displacement increase to 4.0L. [1]

As with all Land Rover vehicles designed since the Series models which had switchable two and four-wheel drive, the transmission is a permanent four wheel drive system, with a locking centre differential at the transfer box. In common with much of the rest of the Land Rover range, the handbrake acts on the transmission at the back of the transfer box.

In Japan, a badge-engineered version of the Series I was offered, called the Honda Crossroad. (The Rover companies had cross-holding relationship with Honda U.K. since early 80's. The relationship ended after Rover was taken over by BMW in 1994.) (Honda revived the nameplate 'Crossroad' in another small sport utility vehicle in 2007.) As of recent times the Land Rover Discovery has became the vehicle of choice when owners want to enhance the car to improve its offroad capability or when offroaders are looking for a tough vehicle. Many owners will build up their Discovery with offroad modifications like suspension lifts, bullbars, larger tyres and traction differentials. There are various companies that are making addons for the Discovery and the Discovery is a sought after 4x4.

 

[Amber34]

I've updated the map based on Cherwell's concern about the second block of garages not being included, so these have now been circled as well - as Cherwell says, we don't have a definitive answer to precisely which block so it is wise to leave both in for consideration.

I have also watched a few videos and added an unprofessional, squiggly blue line. This indicates the police cordon in the area, the placement of which appears to have been dictated by the most convenient trees! None of the videos or stills have been taken at the garage block behind the Jones' home so I think it would be safe to say the abduction took place at one of the two purple garage blocks.

The blue cross is the Jones' house
The pink cross is the garages at the back
The yellow cross is where the landrover was parked in many of the other photos posted today
The purple circles indicate two possible sites where April was playing with MH
The blue line indicates the police cordon
(the strange patch of colouring in is me trying to correct a squiggly blue line error)

 

[UKgirl]

Still not very far .... Perhaps M lives in one of the houses adjacent to those garages then.

If by M you mean MB he left the estate when he broke up with his girlfirnd. He lived in a nearby town.

 

[Clio]

Surely someone must have known MB's new address? So if the LE was already informed on Monday night of the suspicion that MB took AJ, surely they would have gone to his house to try and find him/AJ?

It seems pretty clear to me that LE did know quite quickly that it might well have been MB who took AJ. They may not have known where he had moved to. MB may not have told anybody, may not have re-registered his driving license etc. LE went to his previous known addresses and luckily some ex-neighbours reported having just driven past him by the cycle bridge on the A487 so police rushed off and subsequently arrested him walking by the river. If LE had known he was now living in Mount Pleasant then, as you say, surely they would have gone there earlier. If the neighbours reports of his car being sighted at Mount Pleasant at around 9:30am on Tuesday are correct, then one assumes they didn't know otherwise surely officers would have been waiting at Mount Pleasant in case he returned. JMO

ETA Added quote and link

Det Chief Supt Bevan said last night that they had been “actively seeking” a man who lived in the area.
He said: “This individual has been part of a number of lines of enquiry after his vehicle was seen in the area.
“We have been looking for this man, we knew who we were looking for, we have had a number of patrols in the area and we came across him.”

So they definately wanted to detain him, even if at that point it was just to eliminate him from their enquiries

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/349748/Desperate-search-for-5-year-old-April-Jones

 

[Amber34]

If by M you mean MB he left the estate when he broke up with his girlfirnd. He lived in a nearby town.

I believe the M Cherwell is referring to is the 7 year old playing with April at the time of her abduction (MH)

 

[UKgirl]

Surely someone must have known MB's new address? So if the LE was already informed on Monday night of the suspicion that MB took AJ, surely they would have gone to his house to try and find him/AJ?

MB had only moved adresses a few weeks before. If he hadnt registered as living there in that 2 weeks, it would have taken time to find him. I believe they actually found him pretty quick.

 

[Clio]

If by M you mean MB he left the estate when he broke up with his girlfirnd. He lived in a nearby town.

I believe M means MH - the 7 year-old child who saw AJ getting into the "van"

 

[UKgirl]

I believe the M Cherwell is referring to is the 7 year old playing with April at the time of her abduction (MH)

OK thanks. Just catching up on the forum. So many questions get repeated, I assumed it was one of those

Apologies

 

[UKgirl]

I hate it when itg ets to the point where is just no news. Its heartbreaking. I googled April today and there was one news report. Its just so sad.

 

[Dr. Know?]

Surely someone must have known MB's new address? So if the LE was already informed on Monday night of the suspicion that MB took AJ, surely they would have gone to his house to try and find him/AJ?

That's what I thought about too a while ago. It sounds like no one knew where he was for sure. I read about the chicken eviction prior to this cottage they are searching around now....when did he & his ex gf break up? He was down and out. I hope he didn't hurt any other kids as this is such a beautiful town & the support from the community is outstanding.

He's evil to me & I need to know why he did it & why he won't tell where April is!! I'll wait...there's hope in finding April still for her parents & family to have some sad closure of losing her. Prayers for her family & the town.

 

[Elainera]

Forgive me but I still have these niggling doubts that MB was in the car that April got into and that it was his car.

Correct me if I'm wrong but he was reported driving around erratically in the vicinity not long before the abduction. His car was noisy and had apparent problems with the gears. Would he behave in such a way if he had planned to abduct the girl just a little bit later? Wouldn't he rather sneek around, trying to draw as little attention to himself as possible?

Also, the car that was seen by the 70 y/o man driving away "briskly" at the time of the abduction did not seem to have any of these mechanical problems. If April was in fact in that car, did MB change cars? Or was it someone else in a different car who took her?

Following these thoughts I come to three possible explanations:
1) it wasn't MB nor his car that April got into, a stranger took her
2) it was MB but he changed cars
3) it was someone else, and a different car, who was "working" together with MB

I only added point 3 because LE seems very convinced that he is involved.

Another explanation would be that the car that drove away "briskly" had nothing to do with the whole abduction event.

That would still leave me wondering why nobody heard MB's car drive away after the abduction since it was making problems and noise. It should have been heard just as it was heard before.

 

[veggiefan]

Surely someone must have known MB's new address?

Only if he had chosen to tell someone.

So if the LE was already informed on Monday night of the suspicion that MB took AJ, surely they would have gone to his house to try and find him/AJ?

Since they didn't, we must assume that his address was not known at that time.

The fact that LE closed a 12-mile stretch of the A487 on the Tuesday strongly suggests that all they knew or had been told was that he had moved somewhere up north, in the Corris Valley.

(Forgive me for mentioning that we have been through this same point several times before - I appreciate that the discussion is now enormously long, though!)

 

[Dr. Know?]

Forgive me but I still have these niggling doubts that MB was in the car that April got into and that it was his car.

Correct me if I'm wrong but he was reported driving around erratically in the vicinity not long before the abduction. His car was noisy and had apparent problems with the gears. Would he behave in such a way if he had planned to abduct the girl just a little bit later? Wouldn't he rather sneek around, trying to draw as little attention to himself as possible?

Also, the car that was seen by the 70 y/o man driving away "briskly" at the time of the abduction did not seem to have any of these mechanical problems. If April was in fact in that car, did MB change cars? Or was it someone else in a different car who took her?

Following these thoughts I come to three possible explanations:
1) it wasn't MB nor his car that April got into, a stranger took her
2) it was MB but he changed cars
3) it was someone else, and a different car, who was "working" together with MB

I only added point 3 because LE seems very convinced that he is involved.

Another explanation would be that the car that drove away "briskly" had nothing to do with the whole abduction event.

That would still leave me wondering why nobody heard MB's car drive away after the abduction since it was making problems and noise. It should have been heard just as it was heard before.

The retiree (lol OAP) saw him driving up and down the street/road the night April disappeared. The vehicle was seen the next day having problems & making the banging noise as he shifted gears. I believe.

To me means his vehicle was on it's last legs or needing a replacement clutch/transmission and he took it to it's limit in hiding April. Up hills, long drive, etc...he had something major needing replaced.

Here's what gets me, how could he afford a tow to the garage? Here in the US they charge $55 at least to tow a vehicle. Did he know the garage guy well and did he work there at one time? Just wondering. I thought I read he was mechanic at one time.

 

[Elainera]

The retiree (lol OAP) saw him driving up and down the street/road the night April disappeared. The vehicle was seen the next day having problems & making the banging noise as he shifted gears. I believe.

No he was described as driving erratically through the estate where April lived before the abduction.

"Witnesses have described seeing Mr Bridger driving “erratically” through the estate where April lived an hour before she was abducted."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...fter-giving-up-hope-of-finding-her-alive.html

"he was seen driving erratically through April’s estate an hour before she went missing"

http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/Day...lsy-sufferer/story-17031940-detail/story.html

If it was just an hour before, there wasn't any time to change cars. So my question stands: why did the car "behave" later on, or why did nobody see him having problems after the abduction?