Secret tape of Carr's tearful chat with Huntley's mother

The Soham murder trial has heard a tape of Maxine Carr sobbing as she told Ian Huntley's mother: "I don't understand why this had to happen."

The Old Bailey jury heard the phone call from Carr to Lynda Nixon Huntley was made from Holloway Prison on October 18 last year and recorded covertly.

Carr, 26, sobbed hysterically as she told Huntley's mother: "I don't understand, I don't understand why."

Parts of the tape were virtually inaudible as Carr sobbed: "I want to speak to him so much, I don't know what I'm going to do."

The jury was told the phone calls were the only remaining piece of evidence in the prosecution case against Carr and her then boyfriend Huntley. Richard Latham QC, prosecuting, said the conversation was taped covertly, adding: "Those taking part were not specifically told they were being taped."

Mr Latham told the jury: "The call started at 5pm and concluded at 5.25pm and what the jury is going to hear is the first nine minutes of the tape."

The tape was then played. Part of the conversation was inaudible but Carr, sounding distressed, said:

"They have just told me that Ian was there and I couldn't speak to him." Mrs Nixon said: "You can't speak to him darling." Carr: "I wanted to speak to him so much."

At one point during the conversation Mrs Nixon tells a tearful Carr: "The police know you have not done anything, Maxine." Carr, still sounding distraught, said: "I still do not know why it's happened."

Mrs Nixon asked her during their conversation: "You know on the Sunday that you spoke to him, did you discuss lying?" Carr replied: "No, not on Sunday, on the Monday." Huntley's mother then said: "Oh, the pips are going." She tells Carr to ring her back.

Huntley, 29, denies the murder of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman but has admitted one charge of conspiring to pervert the course of justice. Carr, 26, denies the conspiracy charge and two counts of assisting an offender