Huntley 'offered Holly tissue for nosebleed'

Soham murder accused Ian Huntley has told his trial that he offered Holly Wells some tissue after he noticed she had a nosebleed.

Huntley said: "I asked her if she would like some tissue for her nose.''

Mr Coward asked: “What did she say?”

The witness replied: “Yes, please.”

Huntley continued: “I said to her, plonk your bums on there, I will get you some tissue.”

Mr Coward asked what he was pointing to when he said this and Huntley said the boot of his car, which was still open.

He said that both Holly and Jessica were sitting on the boot of his car by the time he returned from the upstairs bathroom with some tissue.

He told the court that he gave the tissue to Holly but that it did not stop the bleeding.

Asked what happened next, he said: “It was threatening rain and Holly’s nose looked like it was getting worse. I wouldn’t say it was a bad nosebleed but there was a bit of blood there.

“I asked them if they wanted to come inside to get some wet tissue on the nose.”

Huntley said the two girls agreed to go inside.

Mr Coward asked "Did you ask them to come inside?''

Huntley said: “Yes.”

He said they had gone into the living room.

Mr Coward said: “It may be suggested … that you had a plan to lure the girls into the living room. Did you?”

Huntley replied: “No.”

Mr Coward asked why he had invited them in and Huntley said: “To treat the nosebleed.”

Mr Coward asked if they had all stood up or sat down.

Huntley said: “I remained standing. Holly sat at the end of the sofa close to the TV end and Jessica sat at the end closest to the door.”

Mr Coward asked why, if there was a sink in the kitchen and in the downstairs toilet, he had gone upstairs.

Huntley said: “The tissue was generally kept upstairs.”

He said the kitchen was mainly tidy but there were some pots in the sink that he had not got round to washing up.

Mr Coward asked what happened next.

Huntley said: “I went upstairs and left Holly and Jessica sat on the couch.”

He said he went to the bathroom and took some pieces of toilet paper, some of which he wetted slightly and then gave Holly two of the wet pieces and two dry pieces.