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

[LegallyBrunette]

i just did a long post and lost it

i was saying he remembers laying her on the carpet or on A carpet, accorsinf to a different tweet, but woke up 3 am and started drinking cider and thinking it was a nightmare

So he was blacked out between laying her on the carpet and waking up. and cant remember.

I dont think he cut up her body and burnt her, I think he got rid of her somewhere else

he also says he started drinking at 3am on the 2nd oct and by 9.30 am that morning he was so drunk he couldnt stand...then how, if alcohol takes 24 hours go leave the system, did tests taken at 9pm on the 2nd reveal nothing? Confused.

And if he was 'so drunk he couldn't stand' how did he manage to deliver his car to the mechanic, go walking around the river, catch a bus back home etc.
Also... he was supposedly passed out until about 3am but he sent a text to Leslie G about midnight.

 

[Clutchbag]

Yes LG, why ask if a skeleton part or whole was burnt, a skeleton is bones, if he burnt anything it wouldnt have just been bones, i suppose some of the tweets were not verbatim

 

[Clutchbag]

And if he was 'so drunk he couldn't stand' how did he manage to deliver his car to the mechanic, go walking around the river, catch a bus back home etc.
Also... he was supposedly passed out until about 3am but he sent a text to Leslie G about midnight.

well he didnt say when he passed out did he? he said he was wont to sleep two to three hours a night only and spend the rest of the time drinking , then again if he disnt pass out till late what happened to the hours between 7 and later, very confusing


But i agree, much as i would love to give benefit of the doubt always so that no miscarriages of justice happen, he must have got rid of her body, unless someone else was involved it could only have been him, but there is no solid evidence he murdered her or destroyed her body yet IMO

 

[Elainera]

There is a very interesting article today on CNN about the work of Elizabeth Loftus, "a cognitive psychologist and expert on the malleability of human memory."

Trust your memory? Maybe you shouldn't
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/18/health/lifeswork-loftus-memory-malleability/index.html

She has done a lot of work pertaining to eye witness testimony, among other experiments. It's very interesting and also addresses the problem of "leading" questions which can apparently change the answer of witnesses.

Another area she has worked on is false memories and memory implantation.

It's a fascinating read and some of it can be applied in this case that is full of doubt.

It shows how subjective, vulnerable and unrealiable memory really is.

 

[Alyce]

This guy's ability to redefine words is astounding

So- according to him

a lie is intended to deceive, fabrication is something you make up

and

he did not dispose of AJ body, he placed her somewhere

and he has just told prosecuting counsel that her question about timings on the night AJ was abducted is irrelevant

 

[Neurotripsy]

@NewsAndyD:

#AprilJones Mark Bridger again in. Short sleeved light blue shirt with dark blue tie. He adjusts his collar as the jury enter


@stevenmorris20:

#markbridger will be back in the witness box being cross-examined by prosecution - Elwen Evans QC.

Evans asking #markbridger about the differences between a lie, a fabrication and a fantasy.

#markbridger says a lie is intended to deceive, fantasy is what you would wish to happen, fabrication is something you make up.

#markbridger claims April's friend who allegedly saw April get into Bridger's car was "lying".


@NewsAndyD:

#AprilJones "she spoke about four doors, a silver car, sliding doors"

#AprilJones "are you saying there was a day when April got into your car?", "April had never been in my car"

#AprilJones Pros: "you will say anything that you think you will help you, any lie which you think will save your skin"

#AprilJones Bridger "I believe she lied about what she saw, and she's confused about other things like the car"

#AprilJones Pro: "How long did you spend with April in between n the garages?" Bridger: "A number of minutes"

#AprilJones Prosecution asks how long he spent trying to resuscitate April. "I'm drunk, I'm frightened, I'm panicking, I don't know"

#AprilJones "I've got no clear recollection of leaving the monument" Prosecution says that's because his story is 'nonsense'


@stevenmorris20:


#markbridger claims he hit #apriljones with car and he put her into the car - then forgot what happened to body.

Prosecutor: You will say any lie that you think will save your skin. #markbridger: No....I believe she (the witness) lied about what she saw

#markbridger: She (the 7yrold witness) has just lost her friend. She has seen her friend disappear.

#markbridger being asked about his account of the time when #apriljones was in his car. "I'm drunk, I'm frightened, I'm panicking."

#markbridger claims questions about timings following #apriljones disappearance "irrelevant"....

Bridger: "That little girl died that night due to me." His voice cracks.

#markbridger: "I have a dead child that I have killed in my car. How does that affect anyone? I had pins and needles, I felt numb."

Evans asks if the focus is on him? Voice cracks again: "The focus has always been on April, on little April."

#markbridger says he believes he drove back to his house after picking up April and "taken April into the house." He adds...

"I have then taken April back out of the house and put her somewhere." Pros: Where do you recall disposing of her? Bridger: I don't recall

#markbridger says these aren't recollections but "assumptions". Bridger denies abduction and murder.

Evans asks #markbridger what he was doing at 11pm on evening #apriljones went missing. #markbridger: "No idea."

#markbridger says there is no DNA evidence that there was sexual contact with April.

#markbridger insists he did not "dispose" of body. "I believe I placed her somewhere. I did not dispose if her."


@skynewsnorth:

Pros: There has been the largest police search in British history. Where did you get rid of her? Bridger: I can't recall.

Bridger sent a telephone text just before midnight. He says he doesn't remember. #apriljones


@stevenmorris20:

#markbridger: I caused the death of April. I did not kill her. I caused her death. To kill means you have deliberately done that."

Bridger asked again if he disposed of body? B: "The body has not been found. Disposed is such a horrible way of putting it."

#markbridger accepts he cleaned his house. When, pros asks? Bridger says he can't remember. Didn't clean it to get rid of evidence.

#markbridger asked why there was blood on underside of carpet of his living room but not on top. He says he did not scrub the carpet.

Bridger says the area of the living room carpet where blood was found must have been where he had "lain April"....

#markbridger says he "may" have cleaned up blood that had dripped in his hallway or bathroom.

Bridger suggests blood from top of carpet in living room may have been wiped away when he picked up April's body from the floor.

Pros: did you make a cup of tea when you got up morning after April disappeared? No - opened can of cider, Bridger says.

Bridger denies he was "sexually frustrated" on 1 Oct - the day April vanished. Concedes he looked at image of child that day.

Bridger accepts Oct 1 was the day his relationship with his girlfriend ended. #apriljones

When did you cut your hair? Bridger is asked. During Mon Oct 1 he says - before he went to school parents' evening.

When shave off beard? Same time, Bridger says. Says wanted to look respectable at the school.


@NewsAndyD:

#AprilJones Prosecution now turning to police interviews where he said he may have put her under a chocolate vine in a 'paramedics garden'

#AprilJones Bridger tearful as he says he could of buried her or put her in he river, but he doesn't believe he did.

#AprilJones Bridger told a custody officer "I wouldn't have out her in the water because I'm scared of drowning."

#AprilJones Mark Bridger says he doesn't recall saying he may have burned her body, but accepts he said it in interview


@stevenmorris20:

#markbridger says he still doesn't believe he would have put #apriljones in the river, buried her or put her in the ditch.

#markbridger asked about his fake military past. He accepts he "lived a lie for 23 years." Short break now.

#markbridger says he planned to go to police station day after April vanished. "I was petrified," he says.

#markbridger says he did not know it was April Jones who had died until the Tuesday morning - day after she vanished.

Pros suggests #markbridger changed his story when he realised he had been seen on estate at time of #apriljones' disappearance.

Bridger: "I was still trying to work out where I had put little April." #apriljones

#markbridger says he has knives and saws to make walking sticks, chop wood, make knife handles. "I love my bushcraft".

Bridger denies knife found in living room was a "boning knife". Says it's ordinary kitchen knife. Admits he has "experience" with knives.

He denies that two pairs of handcuffs found at his home used as restraints during sex. #markbridger

#markbridger asked when memory if laying April in living room came back. He says thoughts, dreams, images had come to him since his arrest.

#markbridger: I have laid April there while she is bleeding...she was not alive. There was not a great quantity of blood."

Why lay her down, Bridger asked. "I can only speculate. She was dead by this time."

Bridger says it "seems silly" but he may have laid her in front of the fire because it was "warm for her" there.

Pros says he then took her "out into the cold". #markbridger: "I don't know what I did next."

#markbridger, talking about what he did at his house. "I have a recollection of holding April...and putting her on the floor....

"I don't remember picking her up. I don't remember moving her." Pros: Sexually assaulting her? No. Killing her? No - April was dead.

#markbridger says he can't remember when he lit wood burner in his living room. He denies his knives and saws are weapons. "They are tools."


@skynewsnorth:

Muttering and puzzled looks from jurors as Bridger says he has "recollections" but not memories. #apriljones


@stevenmorris20:

#markbridger says he put deer antler, takeaway bones, squirrel, rabbit in wood burner. Pros claims bone pieces in ash could be human child

Pros: do you agree that no spot of April's blood was in your car? #markbridger: None has been found.


@NewsAndyD:

#AprilJones Mark Bridger now being asked about the blood trail on the carpet, and on tiles in front of the washing machine.

#AprilJones Bridger says he doesn't 'live in a pigsty', but can't remember moping the floor in the hallway.

#AprilJones Prosecution says "not a spot of April's blood found in, on your car at all, do you agree?" Bridger, "none has been found"

#AprilJones Bridger suggesting police/forensics have 'looked in the wrong place' also questioning where the bin bag has gone.

#AprilJones eyewitnesses allege they saw Bridger carrying a wrapped up black big bag on the Tuesday after

#AprilJones Bridger confirms in interview he said that April wasn't bleeding.

#AprilJones Bridger says the bin bag was always kept in the car, and he would have covered his laptop 'with something' while at the school.

#AprilJones he 'believes' he would have covered it with the in bag

#AprilJones jury break for lunch


Detailed copies of live updates posted here.

 

[Elainera]

If he's lying he's certainly consistent.

Imo it will be very hard to prove that there was intent to kill and/or a sexual motive. There is no evidence for both and as long as he sticks to his story the jury has very little to go on.

 

[Sarahlou]

He's a complete liar, I don't know how anyone could believe him to be honest. He has lots of her blood all over his house and no blood in his car. Bone fragments from a skull in his fireplace. I think it's proof enough he abducted her and killed her IMO.

 

[Alyce]

I agree Sarahlou, his story is - imo - inconsistent in that his memory gaps seem to come and go and he seems (during his pre arrest interviews ) to have changed his story each time he was presented with a fact that he couldnt dispute.

He knows there is no direct evidence of sexual abuse as there is no body but his story about being worried and yet not contacting police to tell them what he knew about AJs disappearance is just unbelievable.

Of course he also knows that confessing now would do him no favours and in fact would probably add to his sentence, so no doubt he will continue with his cant remembers and dont knows right through his testimony

 

[ann-other]

The way he is handling this is almost like he has had some sort of military training. I just hope he will eventually slip up.

 

[Neurotripsy]

@NewsAndyD:

#AprilJones Mark Bridger admits to having indecent images of children of his laptop, but denies being a paedophile.

#AprilJones Bridger says he had some images to understand his children's development, and also to complain about others

#AprilJones Mark Bridger shown a list of 17 search terms that were allegedly typed in to an Internet search engine.

#AprilJones Bridger telling the jury he used search terms like "10 year old girl naked" so he could understand his daughter's development

#AprilJones Pros "you are advancing a complete fantasy aren't you?" Bridger says he "looked up all aspects of development in my children"

#AprilJones jury again being shown some of the computer evidence.

#AprilJones Bridger being asked about folders on his computers, containing pictures of April's half sisters

#AprilJones Mark Bridger saying that he saved the pictures for his children

#AprilJones Mark Bridger says he tried to add a 15 year old girl on Facebook, because he knew her family.


@DarrenLittleSky:

MB says typing a search for "naked young 5yr old girls" was a "mistake" #apriljones

MB says he tried to find out about his daughter's physical development so he could go and "buy a bra with her" #apriljones

MB asked if he has a file on his laptop named after children or relative of his other than April's 3 sisters, replies I'll have to check

MB then clarifies "I don't think so no" #apriljones

MB being asked why he asked April's sister to be his friend on Facebook #apriljones

MB - says it's because he knows her family, didn't think there was anything inappropriate about it #apriljones

MB says file on his computer which contained also included pics of April and her sister, says "they shouldn't have been there

MB explaining why he has images of murdered girls on his computer "I'd read this sad story" in relation to Soham victims #apriljones

MB says he's read crime stories for many years, but says not just crime, "also images of real life accidents" #apriljones

MB says he is not "totally forensically aware" #apriljones


@NewsAndyD:

#AprilJones "these are not all crimes of rape or paedophilia"

#AprilJones Mr Bridger says that some pictures were in the wrong folders, he was in the process of 'sorting them out'


@DarrenLittleSky:

MB again says he had pics of a girl killed in a boating accident "because I'd read the story" #apriljones

Pros now asking about "extremely unpleasant" explicit cartoon images on MB's laptop #apriljones

MB says he had images he had never viewed on his computer because they'd been downloaded in groups and doesn't understand how that happened


@NewsAndyD:

#AprilJones Mark Bridger says he wanted to complain about the images being available on the Internet.

#AprilJones he also says there are a number of images he hasn't looked at, and wanted to delete.

#AprilJones Bridger also says he did have folders called '+10' and '-10' with images of clothes for his daughter.


@DarrenLittleSky:

Pros suggestion is you have paedophile images on your computer MB I don't look at, I do not get a sexual pleasure out of them #apriljones


@NewsAndyD:

#AprilJones Mark Bridger says he would be happy for his son and daughter to look at pornographic images, if they asked about development.


@DarrenLittleSky:

MB says he would "happily show his children" an explicit image from his computer if asked about sex #apriljones

MB says he was going through the pictures and was trying to make a file for his children so he could show them if asked #apriljones

MB clarifying Coral Jones' friend request to be Facebook friends with him "a number of months before" #apriljones


@NewsAndyD:

#AprilJones Bridger says that Coral Jones had sent a 'friend request' to him, that is when he viewed 52 images of April and her half sister.

#AprilJones Bridger says he doesn't know why he saved a Facebook picture of a 6 year old, into the folder which contained .

#AprilJones Bridger says that images of other girls were to see if there were any pictures of them with his son


@DarrenLittleSky:

MB being asked why he saved a pic of a local 6yr old girl to the file with his in it, says she's a friend's daughter #apriljones

On having pics of April's sisters - "these were my children's cousins, no more than that" #apriljones


@NewsAndyD:

#AprilJones Mr Bridger says he can't remember looking at the cartoon images on the day before April went missing


@DarrenLittleSky:

MB talks of a "beautiful example of a picture" of a naked girl the same age as his daughter taken from a naturist site #apriljones


@NewsAndyD:

#AprilJones moving onto the day April went missing. Bridger says he was asking a woman on Facebook to meet up "to have a chat"

#AprilJones Bridger laughs as he is shown a picture of his 'ex mother in law', says he doesn't know why he looked at it

#AprilJones Mark Bridger says he looked at 32 images of a 14 year old girl to see if there were pictures with his son.

#AprilJones Pros says he's given 3 reasons why he's been looking at her. 1 - modelling, 2 - could she be his daughter, 3 - link to his son.


@DarrenLittleSky:

Court taking a 15 min break #apriljones


@NewsAndyD:

#AprilJones Mark Bridger returns to the witness box after a short break

#AprilJones Jury being shown more alleged Facebook browsing and saving of images, on the afternoon April went missing.

#AprilJones Bridger says he has 'no idea why'

#AprilJones Pros asking why Mark Bridger didn't mention in police interview, about his thought that the girl could have been his daughter.

#AprilJones Bridger says it isn't relevant, and he never expected to be charged with abduction and murder.

#AprilJones Mark Bridger again says he expected to be charged with death by reckless driving or death by drink driving.

#AprilJones Bridger says at 12.06 he would have been on his laptop in his living room at home

#AprilJones Bridger says he doesn't know why he allegedly opened an image of a six year old, on the day April went missing.

#AprilJones Bridger then allegedly again looks at the indecent cartoon of a young girl being restrained.

#AprilJones Mark abridger alleging he has written to a number of companies to complain about the images. To PO Box addresses.

#AprilJones Prosecution asks if he has had any replies, "not as yet"


@DarrenLittleSky:

Pros: no excuse for that (referring to last image viewed, an explicit cartoon) MB: no not unless it's to complain #apriljones

Pros: these sites don't have addresses , they don't post this filth and say our address is so and so MB -no they don't #apriljones

MB I never rally got drunk Pros: is that really true MB: no, there were stages for me #apriljones


@NewsAndyD:

#AprilJones Bridger says that on the afternoon of the 1st of October, he can't remember if he was drunk, when asking a woman out on Facebook

#AprilJones Mark Bridger being asked why he was looking at images in the 'Z0' folder on the afternoon of the 1st. He can't answer why

#AprilJones pros asks why did he go and 'spy' oh his ex? "To make sure she was alright"

#AprilJones "If I saw her come out I would speak to her". Bridger also says he told police he wanted to see if she had 'another bloke'

#AprilJones prosecution asking about his daughters 10 year old friend who he invited come for a sleepover.

#AprilJones "was it an appropriate request." "I wasn't asking her to sleep with me, I was asking her to a sleepover with my daughter."

#AprilJones Prosecution again asks if he thinks it was appropriate for him to ask her, not her parent. He says he's asked others in the past

#AprilJones have you ever been a sleepover when an adult woman wasn't staying in the house overnight? "No"

#AprilJones pros asks why did he make that request at 6pm that night. Bridger says it was the first time he had seen the girl for a while.

#AprilJones the jury has been sent home for the night, the case will continue tomorrow.


Detailed copy of live updates posted here.

 

[Sarahlou]

He searched for 'naked 5 year old girls' to see about his daughters physical development and so he could buy a bra for her? That's so ridiculous it would be funny if it wasn't so serious.

 

[Perodicticus potto]

Imo it will be very hard to prove that there was intent to kill and/or a sexual motive. There is no evidence for both and as long as he sticks to his story the jury has very little to go on.

Based on the evidence we've heard to date, I will go so far as to say that if he were rich he would probably be acquitted. As it is, I assume he has a Legal Aid barrister, so who knows.

 

[Clutchbag]

He searched for 'naked 5 year old girls' to see about his daughters physical development and so he could buy a bra for her? That's so ridiculous it would be funny if it wasn't so serious.

Its all too sickenng and pathetic isnt it, does he even have a 5 year old daughter? Girls at 5 dont wear bras either. And when they are ready to their MUM normally does this.
:facepalm:

Though he says he doesnt recall typing in that search term, rather older aged girls, still, extremely hard to believe

 

[agme28]

I wish he'd stop crying all the time and trying to manipulate the court. He ain't fooling me with his cocktail of supposed honesty, forgetfulness, confusion and contradictions. I hope he gets his comeuppance.

 

[Cherwell]

These complaint letters he claims to have sent- surely they would be traceable if they existed.

 

[Elainera]

Based on the evidence we've heard to date, I will go so far as to say that if he were rich he would probably be acquitted. As it is, I assume he has a Legal Aid barrister, so who knows.

Maybe not acquitted, he does not deny causing April's death and drunk driving at the time. But not a long sentence for sure.

 

[Cherwell]

The way he is handling this is almost like he has had some sort of military training. I just hope he will eventually slip up.

He's slipping up all the time. He was caught out by the blood under the carpet, he thought he'd cleaned it all up. That might have been OK for him if he hadn't insisted that April wasn't bleeding. And he said she'd never been in his house, but - oh wait! now he knows her blood's been found, he's starting to remember laying her down on the carpet. Yeah, right. What's the odds he'll remember that she was bleeding after all?

 

[Sarahlou]

Maybe not acquitted, he does not deny causing April's death and drunk driving at the time. But not a long sentence for sure.

If he's found guilty of murder then I think he'll get 25-30 years minimum.

 

[sleuth-d-]

just a few thoughts that came up after reading through here…
[apologies if this has been covered before, it is a long thread]

the comments made by mb immediately after caution:

1. at this time there are very few details released… so mb cannot be tailoring his statements. [he knew they were looking for left hand drive car - and mentions this]
2. why mention two girls on a bike? [unless he knew there were two girls at the scene]
3. if she was so close to the accident… what was the second child doing at the time he was pushing the car back, picking aj up, helping her into the car. is anyone going to cover this/ask him about this?

"
The officer, who cautioned the 47-year-old, told how he immediately blurted out: “I know what it’s all about - it was an accident, I crushed her with the car. I don’t know where she is.”

Consulting his notebook, PC Saunders read out the labourer’s words admitted in the back of a patrol car, which said: “As I was going to drive away two girls on a bike came across me.

“I got out and saw one of the girls lying under my car. I don’t know where she is. I picked her up and put her in my car, which is a left-hand drive and put her on the front seat.
"



later interview in police custody:

1. now he doesn't know whether they are girls or boys.
2. again only mentions one bike… but 2 children.


"
Interview again gets to the point where MB says he hit April, once again he's looking down in the dock and slowly blinking #apriljones

Again told interviewer there was no thud, the vehicle just rose up, then realised there was something underneath the car #apriljones

MB- At the time is was just two young children I didn't notice if they were boys or girls" #apriljones

MB nodding along as his words are read to the jury by the prosecution barrister #apriljones

MB- "As I looked back around there was a small bike but no girl" #apriljones

MB - I saw my vehicle pushed up against the body of a small child #apriljones

MB - I got out, looked under and saw a body, a little person's body #apriljones

MB told police he pushed his car off April's body, then picked up to get her into some light to see #apriljones
"




if there were a second girl right at the scene of the alleged accident, she would be an eye-witness to his version of events. why did he not insist that she be found/interviewed in his interviews with police?


in other statements he says he didn't know what he had driven over. a clear contradiction of his inital words to pc saunders.


one of the few times he gets agitated during police interview is when the second girl is first mentioned as a witness by police. maybe he only found out there was a second girl after talking with aj once she was in his LR? the second girl, and her statement is a huge problem to his story/defence.