UK News 26-11-2003 Huntley: Freak Accident Killed Girls who: Suspected killer Ian Huntley what: Claims Soham girls died in bathroom accidents where: The Old Bailey, LONDON when: Yesterday snippet: "Holly Wells drowned in the bath while Ian Huntley accidentally killed Jessica Chapman by covering her mouth to stop her from screaming," the Soham murder trial was told yesterday. A "vivid scene" was described by Huntley`s barrister to the Old Bailey as Stephen Coward, QC, gave his client`s version of the events that led to the girls` deaths, says The Times. Huntley, the court was told, "had invited the girls into his bathroom after Holly had suffered a nosebleed," explains The Independent. "They both sat on the edge of the bath as he offered Holly wet tissues." Mr Coward said that the caretaker, to the best of his recollection, knocked Holly into the bath he had earlier filled to wash his dog. "Jessica stood up and started screaming, `You pushed her, you pushed her`. He then turned towards Jessica and either with one hand or two, he is not sure, put his hands out towards Jessica, his memory is over her mouth to stop her screaming," he explained. At some point Jessica collapsed and he turned back to find Holly, apparently dead in the bath. "He turned his attentions to Jessica, looked for signs of breathing and found none," the barrister added. Home Office pathologist Nat Carey admitted under cross-examination from Mr Coward that death both from drowning and smothering could be "quite quick", adds The Guardian, and that he believed the cause of death in both cases to be "interference with breathing". The other main revelation from day 16 of the Soham murder trial was a statement from gamekeeper Keith Pryer, who explained how he discovered the bodies of the two girls in a ditch near RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk. The Sun reports how Mr Pryer noticed "an awful smell" a few days before discovering its source in August last year. At first he assumed the smell was caused by "farmers tipping manure" but on further investigation found something "I was not prepared for." [... more]

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