Five-year-old April Jones kidnapped in Machynlleth, Mid-Wales

[existentialist]

Any idea why media coverage is restricted?

I'd just assumed it was to preserve the possibility of a fair trial. In a case like this, with so much attention focused on the initial crime, I'd imagine that the defence team will be falling over themselves to find any reason why they can claim that it's not going to be possible to get a fair trial for Bridger.

But maybe there's more to it than that.

 

[DJ Squelch]

this trial seems to be happening very promptly after the arrest , a murder trial usually takes about a year to come to court, the Tia Sharp case hasn't gone to court yet and that was before April Jones. I wonder if they've pushed it through early in the hope that a verdict might help them find the body ie encourage some kind of confession.

 

[weltweit]

It seems a very strange thing to say - not guilty but probably responsible - I forget the exact words. Is it a special legal position? If he was going for diminished responsibility why not just say it directly?

 

[miss direct]

I think there may be more to it, because there have been other high profile trials (the murder of Jo Yeates being one that comes to mind) where there weren't restrictions.

 

[weltweit]

He denies abducting and murdering her.
Yet his lawyer says he will say he was "probably responsible for April's death."

 

[Quartz]

Yet his lawyer says he will say he was "probably responsible for April's death."

Perhaps he's been pressured into saying it by the police? It wouldn't be the first time the police have forced a false confession.

 

[miss direct]

Ah I see, this isn't actually the trial, the trial will start in February. They don't want to prejudice the jury I expect.

 

[likesfish]

Think the defence is going to be he took her to the woods and she wandered off and "accidently" fell in the river and drowned
Huntley tried something similar. Lawyers got to earn there pay.

 

[mauvais]

[nonsense, whoops]

 

[mack]

[nonsense, whoops]

?

 

[weltweit]

Mark Bridger is in court now. Accused of the murder of April Jones whose body was never found.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-22353735
April Jones murder: 'Bone found' at Mark Bridger's home

 

[DexterTCN]

Are we allowed to talk about this?* I think the evidence is pretty obvious...he k*******d her, ****d her, ch****d her up, set **** to the remains then ****ed them someplace.

He pled guilty to killing her but can't remember the details.....fuck off.

*mods delete if not appropriate

 

[weltweit]

....
He pled guilty to killing her but can't remember the details.....fuck off.

"Mark Bridger, 47, of nearby Ceinws, denies abducting and murdering April."

 

[DexterTCN]

"Mark Bridger, 47, of nearby Ceinws, denies abducting and murdering April."

He doesn't deny killing her.

 

[butchersapron]

"Mark Bridger, 47, of nearby Ceinws, denies abducting and murdering April."

He still plead guilty. He's offering the defence that it wasn't a nonce job. I doubt he'll last the trial that way.

 

[treelover]

Really feel for all in the town, especially the family, it will never never be the same...

 

[Quartz]

I've heard on the BBC that they found bits of her skull. How could anyone do such a thing?

I'll be giving my niece and nephew extra hugs the next time I see them.

 

[Nylock]

bits... that's just....

 

[Quartz]

Guilty.

 

[shagnasty]

A whole life tarrif i don' think he is safe to go back into society

 

[8den]

Can we have harsher sentences for people who come up with bullshit not guilty defences?

Like the guy who claimed he didn't rape and murder a woman, he found her body and had sex with it?

Or the bloke who claimed the woman he murdered committed suicide by stabbing herself 17 times?

 

[ElizabethofYork]

Can we have harsher sentences for people who come up with bullshit not guilty defences?

Like the guy who claimed he didn't rape and murder a woman, he found her body and had sex with it?

Or the bloke who claimed the woman he murdered committed suicide by stabbing herself 17 times?

How can you have a harsher sentence than a "whole of life" tarriff?

 

[xslavearcx]

How can you have a harsher sentence than a "whole of life" tarriff?

If this was a more right wing forum i'm sure there would arise plenty of graphic descriptions of possible harsher sentences forthcoming...

 

[ElizabethofYork]

If this was a more right wing forum i'm sure there would arise plenty of graphic descriptions of possible harsher sentences forthcoming...

Quite. I've just been reading the Mail Online (yuk) and everyone's tripping over each other to come up with the most gruesome punishments.

 

[8den]

How can you have a harsher sentence than a "whole of life" tarriff?

Whole life tariff and your only entertainment is the Jeremy Kyle show.

 

[ElizabethofYork]

Whole life tariff and your only entertainment is the Jeremy Kyle show.

Bloody hell! That's going too far.

 

[8den]

He claimed he accidentally killed the girl and claims he forgot where he put the body.

Fuck the cunt.

 

[brogdale]

I'd imagine that there would be harsher punishment awaiting if he ever strayed from the confines of the VP wing.

 

[goldenecitrone]

He claimed he accidentally killed the girl and claims he forgot where he put the body.

Fuck the cunt.

Heard on the radio that he confessed to the prison priest that he'd dumped her body in a river. Couldn't be used in court though.

 

[Teaboy]

He claimed he accidentally killed the girl and claims he forgot where he put the body.

Fuck the cunt.

Any murder of a child (or murder full stop for that matter) is horrific but there is something about this case which is particularly disturbing, maybe its the insultingly bad defence or most likely the fact that he clearly thought he'd be fine if he incinerated the body. How terrible for the parents to know they will never even get to bury their child.

A devious liar right until the end, I'm glad the jury saw through his lies and I hope he rots.