Huntley 'put hand over Jessica's mouth'

Soham murder accused Ian Huntley has told his trail in London's Old Bailey that he put his hand over Jessica Chapman's mouth after the youngster started screaming when her friend Holly fell into his bath.

Huntley, whose evidence was punctuated by long pauses, said: “I went over to Jessica. I went over to Jessica,”.

The lawyer asked: “Was she still in the bathroom?”

Huntley said: “She was stood near the doorway or in the doorway.”

“Was she still screaming?” the barrister asked.

“Yes. Yes, she was,” Huntley said.

Mr Coward then asked: “What do you remember doing?”

After another long pause, Huntley said: “I put my hand over her mouth.”

He was asked whether he remembered one hand or two being put over her mouth.

Huntley said: “I clearly remember one. I don’t know if I placed the other hand on her to restrain her or … I don’t know.

“All I can say is that I clearly remember putting one.”

The lawyer asked: “Can you remember which hand of yours it was?”

Huntley replied: “No.”

Mr Coward asked what he was trying to do. Huntley said: ``Stop her from screaming.''

Mr Coward asked if he could say, in real time, how long it took from Holly falling backwards to him putting his hand on Jessica’s mouth.

Huntley said: “No.”

Mr Coward said: “Can you give us any sort of picture of the interval of time?”

Huntley replied: “Not honestly, no.”

Mr Coward said: “Well, if you can’t, you are right to say so.”

He asked Huntley what happened when he put his hand over Jessica’s mouth.

Huntley said: “At some point it hit me what I should be doing.”

Mr Coward said: “What should you be doing?”

Huntley said: “To get Holly out of the bath.”

Mr Coward asked if he remembered having his hand on any other part of Jessica’s body other than her mouth.

Huntley said he could only remember holding her mouth.