Mark Bridger: April Jones accused tested negative for alcohol despite claiming he was so drunk he couldn't remember where her body was

A court heard Mark Bridger, 47, had no alcohol in his body about 27 hours after April was last seen alive

The man accused of killing April Jones tested negative for alcohol six hours after his arrest - despite claiming he was so drunk he couldn't remember where her body was, a murder trial heard today.

A court heard Mark Bridger, 47, had no alcohol in his body about 27 hours after April was last seen alive. 

He told police he was an alcoholic and had drunk so much after 'crushing' April, five, with his car he could not remember what he did with her body.

But Mold Crown Court heard Bridger had no alcohol in his system when he was tested six hours after his arrest on the day after April went missing.

Former lifeguard Bridger has claimed he was drinking 15 to 20 cans of cider a day along with half a bottle to a bottle of vodka.

Police interviewing Bridger in the days after April’s disappearance told him he was a 'convincing liar', the jury heard.

The father-of-six had claimed both his parents were dead - his father from a heart attack and his mother by committing suicide soon after.

But the court heard Bridger confessed that he made it all up to hide the reason why he had not spoken to them for 20 years.

Dc Louise Thomas told Bridger in his final police interview: 'It is documented in your medical notes that your father died of a heart attack and your mother committed suicide.

'Is this what happened?

Bridger replied: 'I disagreed with my family 20 years ago and never saw them again.

'It was easier for me to put them out of my mind and pretend that they are dead.'

The court heard Bridger had also lied by saying he had a military career in which he had 'excelled.'

But it was revealed he had been a fireman in London but quit because he could not make the grade

In his resignation letter of November 1984 read to the jury he said: 'I feel that my tests have proved to me that I couldn’t come up to the standard of the training centre and I feel I should hand in my resignation.'

The court also heard he became 'frightened' when shown a picture of missing schoolgirl April Jones on his own laptop computer, the murder trial heard yesterday.

He told police he was an alcoholic and had drunk so much after 'crushing' April, five, with his Land Rover, he could not remember what he did with her body

Former lifeguard Bridger has claimed he was drinking 15 to 20 cans of cider a day along with half a bottle to a bottle of vodka

Father-of-six Bridger was questioned by police about why pictures of April, and notorious child murder victims were on his computer.

He was asked how it made him feel to look at the picture of April and said: 'F***ed up to be honest.'It bloody frightens me, I know what I’ve done and if I remember where she is I will tell you.'

Bridger, 47, denies abducting and murdering April, five, and perverting the course of justice by disposing of her body.

Bridger told police he was related to April’s parents Paul and Coral Jones who are sitting in the public gallery throughout the trial at Mold Crown Court.

Former abattoir worker Bridger was also shown pictures from his laptop of a series of child murder victims - all girls.

He told officers he was interested in real-life crime and had read case files from British and American 'Most Wanted' websites.

He said: 'If I had any inclination of being a child pervert or child molester, this is where it would lead to.'

The court heard Dc Louise Thomas told him: 'You have killed a young girl and then I’m sitting here with you seeing images of murdered girls. Is there any coincidence?'

April disappeared on October 1 last year and despite the biggest search in British criminal history her body has never been found

Bridger replied: 'I have told you the story about April and how I crushed her and I didn’t get any sexual pleasure from that.'

Police asked Bridger if he liked young girls because all his previous relationships had been with much younger females.

He replied: 'Young girls no - young women yes.'There was a 20 year age gap between me and my last girlfriend, that was the largest age gap and it caused problems.'

April disappeared on October 1 last year and despite the biggest search in Britishcriminal history her body has never been found.

But the court heard April’s blood was found in Bridger’s remote cottage in the village of Ceinws, near Machynlleth, Powys, along with the DNA of a young child in ash from his woodburner.

The jury was told Bridger was asked about the possibility of burning the body buthe said he knew through his fire training that like pork, human flesh “smells”.

And the murder trial heard Bridger told police he would not have disposed of her body in water because he was 'scared of drowning'.Although he could not remember what he did with April, he told police: 'I wouldn’t have put her in a bin because that’s disgusting.'

Bridger, of Ceinws, near Machynlleth, denies murder, abduction and perverting the course of justice.The trial continues.