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| April Jones trial: court told of Mark Bridger's previous convictions | April Jones trial: court told of Mark Bridger's previous convictions |
| (4 months later) | |
| The man accused of abducting and murdering five-year-old April Jones has a string of previous convictions including for offences of violence and deception, a court has heard. | The man accused of abducting and murdering five-year-old April Jones has a string of previous convictions including for offences of violence and deception, a court has heard. |
| Mark Bridger was put on probation as a 19-year-old by the Old Bailey in London after being caught with a firearm and in 2004 was convicted of threatening a police officer with a machete following a row with an ex-partner. | Mark Bridger was put on probation as a 19-year-old by the Old Bailey in London after being caught with a firearm and in 2004 was convicted of threatening a police officer with a machete following a row with an ex-partner. |
| In 2007 Bridger was given a suspended jail sentence for punching a man in a row over a boiler, the jury was told. | In 2007 Bridger was given a suspended jail sentence for punching a man in a row over a boiler, the jury was told. |
| Asked by his barrister, Brendan Kelly QC, whether he had been convicted of any sexual offences or offences related to indecent images, Bridger said: "No." | Asked by his barrister, Brendan Kelly QC, whether he had been convicted of any sexual offences or offences related to indecent images, Bridger said: "No." |
| Bridger, 47, admitted in the witness box that he had not served in the military, as he had told police following his arrest on suspicion of April's murder in October last year. | Bridger, 47, admitted in the witness box that he had not served in the military, as he had told police following his arrest on suspicion of April's murder in October last year. |
| He also told the jury he had fathered six children by four women and was a grandfather. Bridger said there had never been any complaints about his behaviour towards his own children or any other youngsters he had contact with. | He also told the jury he had fathered six children by four women and was a grandfather. Bridger said there had never been any complaints about his behaviour towards his own children or any other youngsters he had contact with. |
| Asked about indecent images found on his laptop, Bridger said he had stored them with a view to making complaints to the companies that published them. | Asked about indecent images found on his laptop, Bridger said he had stored them with a view to making complaints to the companies that published them. |
| Bridger is accused of abducting and murdering April Jones in a sexually motivated attack. April disappeared on 1 October last year from Machynlleth in mid-Wales. Bridger denies the offences and also denies concealing, disposing of or destroying April's body. | Bridger is accused of abducting and murdering April Jones in a sexually motivated attack. April disappeared on 1 October last year from Machynlleth in mid-Wales. Bridger denies the offences and also denies concealing, disposing of or destroying April's body. |
| Bridger claims he accidentally hit April in his Land Rover and, in a panic, drove her away. He says he cannot remember what he did with her body. | Bridger claims he accidentally hit April in his Land Rover and, in a panic, drove her away. He says he cannot remember what he did with her body. |
| Wearing a blue shirt and striped tie, Bridger was surrounded by three guards as he gave his evidence at Mold crown court in north Wales. | Wearing a blue shirt and striped tie, Bridger was surrounded by three guards as he gave his evidence at Mold crown court in north Wales. |
| April's parents, Paul and Coral, watched from the public gallery – the first time they have seen Bridger during the trial as the dock is directly below where they sit. | April's parents, Paul and Coral, watched from the public gallery – the first time they have seen Bridger during the trial as the dock is directly below where they sit. |
| Bridger told the court that he grew up in south London and briefly trained as a firefighter. But he said he fell out with his parents after he fathered his first child and moved to north Wales. He camped for a while on a beach before living at various addresses, sometimes alone, sometimes with a succession of partners. | Bridger told the court that he grew up in south London and briefly trained as a firefighter. But he said he fell out with his parents after he fathered his first child and moved to north Wales. He camped for a while on a beach before living at various addresses, sometimes alone, sometimes with a succession of partners. |
| He said that when he moved to Wales he lied that he had been in the military because people asked about his past and he did not wish them to know about his problems. | He said that when he moved to Wales he lied that he had been in the military because people asked about his past and he did not wish them to know about his problems. |
| Bridger's voice broke as he said he did not know he had pictures of April on his computer. He said he had stored Facebook images of local girls on his computer at the behest of his children and did not even know he had a picture of April. | Bridger's voice broke as he said he did not know he had pictures of April on his computer. He said he had stored Facebook images of local girls on his computer at the behest of his children and did not even know he had a picture of April. |
| Bridger denied having a sexual interest in young children. Asked whether the images found on his computer were for his "sexual gratification", he replied: "No." | Bridger denied having a sexual interest in young children. Asked whether the images found on his computer were for his "sexual gratification", he replied: "No." |
| Questioned about indecent cartoon images which show child sexual abuse, Bridger said: "I actually came across that accidentally while looking up some cartoon thing for my daughter … she was into Spongebob Squarepants. I came across this. That's why I was concerned." | Questioned about indecent cartoon images which show child sexual abuse, Bridger said: "I actually came across that accidentally while looking up some cartoon thing for my daughter … she was into Spongebob Squarepants. I came across this. That's why I was concerned." |
| Bridger said he had been on antidepressants for 12 years. He said he suffered anxiety and panic attacks. He drank "excessively", which resulted in "lost hours". "There were times when I would not know what I did the day before," he said. | Bridger said he had been on antidepressants for 12 years. He said he suffered anxiety and panic attacks. He drank "excessively", which resulted in "lost hours". "There were times when I would not know what I did the day before," he said. |
| He said that on the day April vanished he was drunk by 9.30am. He was upset because his latest relationship had collapsed and he was worried he was going to lose his home. | He said that on the day April vanished he was drunk by 9.30am. He was upset because his latest relationship had collapsed and he was worried he was going to lose his home. |
| The prosecution has claimed that fragments of bone found in the wood burner of Bridger's home, Mount Pleasant, three miles from Machynlleth, were from a child's skull. | The prosecution has claimed that fragments of bone found in the wood burner of Bridger's home, Mount Pleasant, three miles from Machynlleth, were from a child's skull. |
| Bridger told the court that two days before April vanished he had cooked a chicken for two of his children in the burner. | Bridger told the court that two days before April vanished he had cooked a chicken for two of his children in the burner. |
| Asked about his claims that he had served in the military, including the SAS, he said: "When I moved close to the Machynlleth area everyone seemed to want to know who I was, where I was from, my past, my present. | Asked about his claims that he had served in the military, including the SAS, he said: "When I moved close to the Machynlleth area everyone seemed to want to know who I was, where I was from, my past, my present. |
| "So I had always been interested in the military. I just said I am ex-military and people just took that as what I did. I didn't want them to know I had had problems with my past. That stuck with me for … until now." | "So I had always been interested in the military. I just said I am ex-military and people just took that as what I did. I didn't want them to know I had had problems with my past. That stuck with me for … until now." |
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