‘Mach was the focus of the world’: Chilling new details of Mark Bridger’s abduction and murder of disabled Machynlleth schoolgirl April Jones have been revealed in a documentary series.
The third and final episode in Channel 4’s The Disappearance of April Jones docuseries airs tonight at 9pm.
So far it has revealed April’s family’s heartbreaking final words to her before she fatefully left to meet her friends, never to return.
It features previously unseen footage of ‘fantasist’ ‘psychopath’ Mark Bridger lying to police during an interrogation – where he insists that he doesn’t remember what happened to her body which has never been recovered.
April’s family, still based in Machynlleth, feature heavily and discuss the trauma they experienced after the five-year-old’s disappearance – and the continuing pain of never finding her body.
Town residents also speak about the ensuing manhunt – one of the largest in UK policing history – as well as their memories of both April and her killer, who was charged with her abduction and murder and sentenced to life behind bars.
Haunted officers from the Dyfed-Powys Police force reveal previously undisclosed details about the investigation and its chilling conclusions – including the emotional toll they suffered due to the case.
April suffered with cerebral palsy from the hip down and was born seven weeks prematurely.
In the documentary, her mother Coral says: “She’s my little Thumbelina – like a little diamond.
“You’d never want to let go.”
She speaks about April’s favourite toy, a small wind-up hamster which she said would ‘drive them mad – but was fun.’
Coral Jones (Channel 4 )
Her sister Jazmin emotionally recounted being told to go home and rest after the conclusion of the first day of searches.
She said: “At some point somebody told us to try and get some sleep.
“You can’t – you physically can’t. I remember going up to my bed.
“Staying in a room that was… ours, with an empty bed, was soul-destroying.”
One resident says: “Mach became the focus of the whole world.”
Jazmin Jones (Channel 4 )
The second episode featured interviews with Bridger, who was calm and assured as he spoke with police after being arrested until he broke down in tears and offered a chilling half confession which Dyfed-Powys Police officer Dave Roberts called ‘total bullshit.’
Bridger told police: “The next minute the bike was there. I started the car up and as I went to pull away, there wasn’t a thud, I can’t understand.
“The car rose up, as I opened the car I walked round and underneath the front of the car is April.
“She was only little, so I picked her up and put her across my seat and put her in the passenger seat.
“I tried to take her pulse and there was nothing. I put my mouth over her mouth and went to blow and put my hand back on her chest and that’s when I realised, one side of her chest wasn’t there.
“I’d obviously crushed her little body.
“That’s when I realised the colour had gone out of her. Her lips were purple. Paul and Coral are friends of mine and I’ve killed their daughter.”
Evidence was later found that led to his conviction of murder, including DNA evidence, blood spatter and child pornography.
