Mark Bridger 'felt sick' as he drove with April Jones's body

Mark Bridger told a jury at Mold Crown Court that he caused five-year-old April's death and he "placed" her body somewhere he can't recall.

She has never been found.

Bridger, 47, of Ceinws, near Machynlleth, denies abducting and murdering April last October as well as perverting the course of justice by concealing her body.

He also told the court how he believes he placed April in front of his fire to give her some "peace and quiet" and to "keep her warm".

Under cross examination at the court again today, with April's parents Coral and Paul watching, Bridger told the jury that he still could not remember what he had done with April's body.

He said: "I had a dead child that I have killed in my car. I had pins and needles, I felt sick, frightened with fear.

"This little girl was dead in my car. The focus has always been on April. I tried to resuscitate her."

Prosecutor Elwen Evans QC asked Bridger what he had done between leaving Machynlleth town and and being seen outside his house in Ceinws an hour and 10 minutes later.

He said: "I believe I had driven to the house. I don't recall her in the car. At some point I had taken her in the house.

"At some point I changed my beige top as it may have had blood on it.

"Then I have taken her out of the house and put her somewhere and returned."

Miss Evans: "You've killed April and disposed of her body."

Bridger: "I didn't dispose of her. I placed her somewhere. You imply I did other things."

Miss Evans: "You could've done anything to her."

Bridger: "No, no I couldn't. There's scientific evidence to prove I didn't do things.

"There's no evidence of sexual contact in the car, home or on myself."

Miss Evans then said: "There is one piece of evidence which would have told the story most eloquently. It would be April's body. Where have you put her?"

Bridger: "I know that, I don't know. I can't recall, I placed her somewhere."

Miss Evans continued to quiz Bridger over what he had done, but he insisted that he didn't "kill" April, but "caused her death".

Miss Evans: "Why has April's body, no part, ever been found?"

Bridger: "I've put her somewhere she hasn't been found."

Miss Evans also asked Bridger if he had ever had a dead or dying child in his car before.

He replied: "No, which made it all the worse."

She replied: "Made what worse?"

Bridger: "The fear, the panic."

Moving on, Miss Evans asked Bridger why he had put April in front of the fire.

He told the jury it was to give her some "peace and quiet" or warmth.

"Before you took her outside into the cold?" Miss Evans replied.

"I don't know," he said.

Bridger also told the members of the jury that he could not say for certain where the bones – believed to be human juvenile skull – found in the fireplace were from, saying that he had cooked a range of meat and whole skeletons of squirrel and rabbit as well as placed antler into the fire.

The prosecution alleges that Bridger abducted and murdered April in a sexually motivated attack and told police a "web of lies" to cover it up.

But he claims he ran her over and doesn't remember what he did with her body due to alcohol and 'sheer panic'.

April went missing from outside her home on the Bryn y Gog estate in Machynlleth on October 1 last year sparking the biggest search in UK police history.

The trial continues.