Deceased/Not Found UK - April Jones, 5, Machynlleth, Wales, 1 Oct 2012 #7 *M. Bridger guilty*

[Elainera]

That wouldn't account for the images and folders of specific local children though. Can't see how the defence can argue about these?

They weren't indecent pictures though.

 

[Cherwell]

Long story short: defence might simply claim that his laptop was infected and he did not download all these pictures. I don't think it's strong evidence.

I know very little about this kind of thing, but it looks as though the prosecution have that covered:

Mr Ray "Demonstrate searches had been made for the kind of material I've just mentioned"

Witness also tells jury the files were in user generated folders

Mr Ray is explaining how and when new folders were made

 

[Sarahlou]

What a sick . How weird he saved images of all those other murdered girls. The thought of them being dead probably turned him on.

 

[Neurotripsy]

Live updates: [x]

The trial has resumed following the lunch break.

Ms Evans has recalled forensic scientist Emma Howes to the witness box after jurors told the judge they were confused with what is meant by a DNA match of "one in a billion". The trial has previously heard that blood found in Bridger's house was a "one in a billion" match with April's DNA profile. Mr Kelly, defending, has already conceded that the blood found in the Ceinws property did belong to April.

Explaining the term, Ms Howes told the jury the "one in a billion" definition is used when there is a "minute probability that the blood could've come from somebody else".

<modsnip>
@NewsAndyD:

#ApirlJones the witness also being asked some further questions about the forensic examination of the wheels and tyres of the Land Rover

#AprilJones Witness says that the tyres were looked at with bright lights and lenses. Examined for hair and fibre, none found

#AprilJones tyres also visually and chemically tested for blood. None found

#AprilJones jury now hearing from Pamela Bauer, a forensic scientist

#AprilJones witness explaining how she tried to match fibres found in Mark Bridger's Land Rover, to the coat April would have been wearing

#AprilJones Pamela Bauer says they couldn't find any matching fibres.

#AprilJones again witness says that they can't match any fibres found on the outside of the car, with a replica coat or trousers.

#AprilJones Witness also says there were no blood or skin samples found either

#AprilJones in cross-examination Pamela Bauer says the type of coat April was wearing, was waterproof and wouldn't easily shed fibres

#AprilJones Pamela Bauer says the absence of fibre doesn't assist with knowing whether or not April had been hit by or been in Bridger's car


[I have to see my GP so I won't be around for a couple of hours, if nobody else posts updates or Tweets I'll edit them into this post when I get back! :seeya:]


Live updates from remainder of afternoon session: [x]

During cross-examining of Ms Bauer, Mr Kelly told the court four fibres which bore a "microscopic resemblance" to the fibres of the replica coat had been found in the front of Bridger's Land Rover. However, Ms Bauer said even if these fibres did belong to April's coat, they "did not assist with understanding which seat in the vehicle April Jones sat on". The court has previously heard how Bridger claims to have lifted an injured April off the road and placed her on the front passenger seat.

Jurors have also heard evidence from April's seven-year-old friend who is said to have seen the youngster climb into the back of the car.

The court is now hearing the evidence of crime scene investigator Melanie Barlow. Ms Barlow was one of the CSIs brought in to examine Bridger's Ceinws cottage. The expert, who was tasked specifically with assessing the fire place in the living room, told how she could immediately see that the front of the hearth had been cleaned while the back had not.

<modsnip>
The trial has now been adjourned for the day.

Tomorrow's proceedings are not expected to start any time before 11am as the jury are being taken to view Bridger's Land Rover.

 

[ann-other]

#apriljones Bridger in more talks with lawyer through dock glass as CSI Melanie Barlow said his wood burner fire had been "wiped down".


Crime scene investigator found knife blade on top of fireplace in Bridger's house. #apriljones


#apriljones CSI witness: "when rolling over carpet in front of fireplace noticed a big red stain"


#apriljones CSI witness statement that "smears" on fire is evidence of clean-up was only made last Friday after she "reviewed" scene pics

The trial has been adjourned for a short break at the request of a juror.

#apriljones Mark Bridger's landlord, Mark Ford, said Bridger rented his cottage off him for £450 a month from 25th of August.

#apriljones Mr Ford added that he thoroughly cleaned the cottage before Bridger moved in with his partner & four children.

#apriljones He said cottage - where Aprils blood was found - was cleaned two months earlier "such as I would be happy to move in myself".

Court finished for the day, back at 10am
#apriljones

Correction * Case unlikely to start before 11am as jury being taken to view Bridger's Land Rover #apriljones

 

[ann-other]

Back to you now Neurotripsy, you do a better job than me

 

[Elainera]

ann you did a great job! Thank you very much!

 

[Cherwell]

The defence barrister quizzed the detective on whether she was aware that the young witness had been shown a picture of a Land Rover prior to being interviewed. DC Miles said it was only during her questions with the youngster that it emerged her mother had shown her a picture of the type of car on her phone.

Mr Kelly has asked DC Miles whether she was concerned the child had come to believe the car she saw was a Land Rover after being shown a picture.

When the interview was played to the court last week jurors heard the officer asked the girl whether a picture she was drawing was "exactly what you saw or what a Land Rover normally looks like?" But in response to Mr Kelly's question DC Miles said she was merely trying to clarify what type of vehicle the seven-year-old was trying to describe.

I wonder why the defence barrister is making a big deal out of this, since they don't appear to be disputing that April was in Bridger's car - just the means by which she got there.

The court has previously heard how Bridger claims to have lifted an injured April off the road and placed her on the front passenger seat.

 

[Elainera]

I wonder why the defence barrister is making a big deal out of this, since they don't appear to be disputing that April was in Bridger's car - just the means by which she got there.

Maybe he wants to discredit the child witness so he can later say that MB hit April on the road and not near the garages, that she was driving on the road with her bicycle where she shouldn't have been, and it was dark etc, so not his fault that he hit her with the car. It's only the child witness that ties his car to the area next to the garages. moo

 

[Cherwell]

The implication being that the child witness has invented her story? Yes, I can see that the child is very inconvenient, to say the least.

 

[Elainera]

Yes invented the story or saw someone else's car and because April was missing said she saw MB's car, something like that.

 

[ann-other]

A little troubled and confused by this: In the initial statement read to the court from the first officer on the scene that interviewed April's friend, she asked her about the type of car. The original statement from the child being 'grey in colour, small at the front and big at the back' We are then informed that her mother had shown her photos of Land Rover's on her phone. I took this to be at a later date, not at the time of the initial interview with the child, and that this evidence had surfaced later. Today we are told from the evidence of this officer in front of the jury, that the child said she was shown these photos before she, the officer, was even on the scene.

"Ms Evans said she did not wish to ask the officer any questions, instead Mr Kelly went straight into his.

The defence barrister quizzed the detective on whether she was aware that the young witness had been shown a picture of a Land Rover prior to being interviewed.

DC Miles said it was only during her questions with the youngster that it emerged her mother had shown her a picture of the type of car on her phone."

So am I correct in assuming in the relatively short time it took for the first officer to arrive on the scene, the child was shown photos of Land Rover's prior to her arrival?

 

[Cherwell]

So am I correct in assuming in the relatively short time it took for the first officer to arrive on the scene, the child was shown photos of Land Rover's prior to her arrival?

I don't think so. Didn't the mother say that she saw a Land Rover outside a shop and took a photo with her camera to show her daughter?

Are you sure that DC Miles was the first officer to attend? I thought it was DS Frasier. I think DC Miles is referring to the follow-up interview, but I may be wrong.

ETA: Found the mum's evidence http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/april-jones-young-friend-saw-3420429

The mother said she had shown her daughter a picture of a Land Rover the following day.

&#8220;She kept describing it as a tall vehicle and I was racking my brains to think what type of vehicle it could be,&#8221; the witness said.

&#8220;I was down the local shop and a silver Land Rover pulled up so I Googled one and showed her.

&#8220;I didn&#8217;t tell her it was a Land Rover, she read it, she was quite animated when she saw it.&#8221;

 

[Elainera]

I wonder why the defence barrister is making a big deal out of this, since they don't appear to be disputing that April was in Bridger's car - just the means by which she got there.

Coming back to this question once more: the defence will likely also try to discredit the child witness because she says she saw April climb into the car uninjured while the defence wants to claim that MB accidentally ran her over and put her into the car injured. That's why Mr Kelly focuses on her a lot.

 

[veggiefan]

Coming back to this question once more: the defence will likely also try to discredit the child witness because she says she saw April climb into the car uninjured while the defence wants to claim that MB accidentally ran her over and put her into the car injured. That's why Mr Kelly focuses on her a lot.

Yes, I'm afraid it's all about discrediting the child's testimony. As well as the suggestion that she may have been encouraged to identify a specific make of vehicle, there is her inaccuracy about its colour and the fact that she admitted to making up her claim to have seen the colour of MB's eyes.

But at the end of the day, with no evidence of the vehicle being in any impact with April, I doubt that the jury will find MB's claim of running her over at all convincing.

 

[Elainera]

Maybe they will get an expert to testify that because she had this water proof jacket on there wouldn't be any fibres on the tire.

 

[Neurotripsy]

From live updates: [x]

The nine women and three men who will decide the fate of Mark Bridger have been taken to a "secure" location to view his Land Rover Discovery. The jurors were picked up from Mold Crown Court a short while ago and driven to the unknown location in a coach. Unlike the jury's visit to Bridger's house in Ceinws and April's hometown of Machynlleth, press have not been allowed to join them.

Judge John Griffith-Williams yesterday told the court the jury's visit could take "a couple of hours". As a result, the trial is not expected to begin before 11.30am.

In addition to viewing the Land Rover Discovery Bridger allegedly used to abduct five-year-old April, jurors will also be able to inspect the bikes she and her friend were playing with moments before she disappeared.

The jury arrived back from their visit and courtroom one at Mold Crown Court has been unlocked. Both Elwen Evans QC, prosecuting, and Brendan Kelly QC, defending, have taken their seats as have around a dozen journalists. Proceedings are expected to start imminently.

The jury have just been brought into the courtroom. Prior to the start of proceedings, the judge answered several of their questions. Jurors wanted to know whether Bridger's Land Rover had central locking, whether the radio was working at the time and where the bike April was riding at the time of her alleged abduction was said to have been left.

<modsnip>
Ms Evans then read a statement from Edward Ronson. In his statement he told how Bridger had briefly worked for the London Fire Brigade between May 21, 1984 and November 26, 1984. He added Bridger was living in South Croydon at the time.

After less than an hour of proceedings the 12th day of the trial has been adjourned for lunch. It will resume at 2pm.


@JerryLawton:

Abbatoir worker says Bridger was "skilled" in use of "boning and skinning" knives #apriljones

After being dumped by gfriend on morning of #apriljones disappearance Bridger asked for day off to "get my head around things"

Bridger used to be firefighter in London in 1984 - resigned after six months - at time he lived in Croydon #apriljones

Despite claims to police he was a former soldier records show Bridger never served in Army, Royal Navy, Marines or RAF #apriljones


@DarrenLittleSky:

MB worked at the abattoir in Llanidloes until feb 2012 #apriljones

Jury asking about relationships - 2 of April's half sisters are the nieces of the mother of 2 of MB's children #apriljones

 

[Cherwell]

Yes, I'm afraid it's all about discrediting the child's testimony. As well as the suggestion that she may have been encouraged to identify a specific make of vehicle, there is her inaccuracy about its colour and the fact that she admitted to making up her claim to have seen the colour of MB's eyes.

But at the end of the day, with no evidence of the vehicle being in any impact with April, I doubt that the jury will find MB's claim of running her over at all convincing.

Yes, veggie, it's all very well them picking holes, but the fact remains that what she witnessed led the search directly to MB. And since he admits that she was in his car and that he was "responsible for her death", it seems like a massive coincidence if the child invented it all.

I may have missed something, but has there been any sort of identity parade?

 

[Elainera]

What is an identity parade?

 

[Cherwell]

What is an identity parade?

It is a line-up of people which includes the suspect along with other people who look vaguely similar. The witness picks out the person they think they saw - if possible. This can be carried out using real people with the witness looking at the line-up through a one-way mirror (so the suspect cannot see the witness). Or it can be done using photographs.