MEMORIES OF APRIL
Mum shares p photos of murdered youngster to mark her 11th birthday
THE mother of murdered April Jones has released these photographs to mark what would have been her beloved daughter’s 11th birthday. The five-year-old was abducted and killed in 2012 by paedophile Mark Bridger, who was jailed for life the following year.
Heartbroken Coral Jones said she’s had “six years of hell” since April was taken from outside the family home in Machynlleth.
Her body was never recovered but police found forensic evidence linking Bridger, now 52, to the murder, including fragments of April’s skull in the fireplace of his rented cottage in Ceinws, near Machynlleth.
Mrs Jones, 46, said: “One of the photographs shows April standing by a Christmas tree at home in 2011 – her last Christmas. In another she is wearing a wrestler’s mask at an event at Canolfan Bro Ddyfi, Machynlleth, and another photograph was used in the campaign to get April’s Law.”
Other photos show April smiling at a fairground, having had her hair dyed for Halloween and sitting happily on her father Paul’s lap.
Mrs Jones revealed in February that Mr Jones, 49, has to be reminded of the loss of their daughter after he suffered memory loss caused by a virus which started as a cold sore. He has spent more than a year in hospital and his family are hoping he can recover and return home.
Mrs Jones stayed at home this year to mark April’s birthday on April 4 and said: “I haven’t got Paul with me.”
In a message on Facebook, she added: “April my baby girl. I love you so much and I miss you every day since you were taken from us. You will always be in my heart and you will always be with me wherever I go. One day we will be together again. Hope you have a lovely birthday in heaven. Love you so much and miss you like crazy.”
She added: “I’ve had six years of hell but the last two have been even worse with my husband Paul taken ill. We still don’t know if he will ever come back to me and our two kids.
“Paul was my rock, my soul mate. If it was not for my kids, my mum and two of my friends I would be lost. When you lose someone in a horrible way you have lots of people around you, but as time goes on one by one they all go back to their own lives and you are left on your own.
“You don’t know what to do but you sink into deep depression. But what kept me going is that we are fighting to change the law so other families don’t go through hell. We need April’s Law so the evil b******s that do evil things to children never see the light of day again. So please keep fighting with us to get April’s Law.”