Huntley unlikely to deny girls died in his house

IAN HUNTLEY is unlikely to deny Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman died while they were alone with him in his house, an Old Bailey jury was told yesterday.

Huntley is also expected to admit he took the 10-year-old girls' bodies to the spot near Lakenheath, Suffolk, where they were found 13 days later, said Richard Latham QC, prosecuting.

He described school caretaker Huntley as "calculating and manipulative" and suggested he had "tried to get away with murder".

The barrister's account of Huntley's admissions came as he opened the prosecution's case on the first day of Huntley's trial.

Huntley denies murdering the 10 year olds, who disappeared in their home village of Soham, Cambridgeshire, on the evening of Sunday, August 4, 2002.

Mr Latham said the prosecution could not call anyone who could tell the jury "what happened in that house".

"There is only one person alive who was there on that evening," Mr Latham said.

"The focus of the trial is likely to turn on whether we can establish that their deaths while he was there with them in the house amounted to murder. How and why the deaths happened will be for you to consider and on the answers to those two questions will rest your verdicts in this case."

Mr Latham told the jury: "We understand from those representing Huntley it is unlikely to be disputed by Huntley that the girls went into his home shortly after 6.30pm that evening, that Huntley was the only other person there at the time and that they died within a short time of going inside his home."

Mr Latham said it was also unlikely to be disputed that "it was Huntley who took their bodies to the place where they were found.

"Some time ago, when the two counts of murder on this indictment were put to him, he pleaded not guilty.

"To this day he maintains that stance, not guilty."

But Mr Latham told the jury: "We will invite you to find that he is guilty of murder.

"We assert that after the deaths Huntley knew what he was doing. He could remember, he could understand, he was a man who insofar as anyone who has killed two 10-year-old girls can be described as rational was acting rationally."

He added: "There is evidence of a calculating and manipulative individual who knew precisely what he was up to. He was trying to get away with murder."

He said Huntley does not have to prove anything but any account of what happened in the house would obviously be very important.

"That is why you will need to examine his actions and what he said in the hours and days after the deaths."