April
Page 24
Christmas Day was very different from usual. Carol cooked a beautiful meal but we ate it outside in the sunshine, under a marquee in the garden.
It was while we were in Australia that I began doing some of my own writing. I didn’t have a diary like Paul, but the letter I’d written to Bridger had shown me how much of a relief it was to get my thoughts down on paper.
‘It feels so wrong not having my little April here with us,’ I wrote, tears stinging my eyes. ‘Her Uncle Ian can’t speak about it as it hurts him so much. It doesn’t feel like Christmas without my baby girl. We were all supposed to come to Australia together but I’ve brought her here in my heart.
‘I wish I could change places with April. I’ve lived so much of my life. I’ve had three lovely children who mean the world to me. But I have to go on, for the sake of my other children.’
We arrived home on 7 January, fatigued and jet-lagged and already dreading our long journey to the Court of Appeal in London. We were relieved when we received a call from Hayley a few days later, telling us that we wouldn’t have to make the trip after all: Bridger had abandoned the appeal against his whole life tariff. Still, we were angry that he’d been allowed to put us through the mill and place us under even more strain during what was always going to be a stressful time of year. It was like we’d never be free of his sick games.
‘That bastard can rot slowly in misery and fear for the rest of his life,’ I wrote. ‘It’s not much comfort for us, but a huge weight off our minds knowing he’ll never be released.’
Shortly after Bridger dropped his appeal, we were contacted by a charity called Missing People. In partnership with the National Crime Agency, Missing People helps operate the Child Rescue Alert system. Although the alert issued in the immediate aftermath of April’s disappearance sadly didn’t produce the results we’d hoped for, we still passionately believed it could save the life of another child.
Jo Youle, the charity’s Chief Executive, explained to us that the Child Rescue Alert system was to be extended to directly involve members of the public. Previously, appeals were circulated largely via the media but now people were being asked to sign up to receive alerts to their mobile phones.
In short, if a suspected abduction occurred in a certain area, everyone who had signed up to receive the alert would receive a text containing as much information as possible about the incident. This might include a photograph of the child or, if appropriate, a description of the vehicle in which they had been taken.
Coral and I understand better than most people that, when your child goes missing, all you want is for everyone around you to look for them. When Missing People invited us to London to help promote the re-launch of the scheme, we were happy to attend.
Coral took part in a photocall at King’s Cross Station before we were taken to the House of Lords for a civic reception hosted by the Home Secretary, Theresa May. The following day, we also visited the Missing People headquarters in South London, where we were given a chance to see first-hand the amazing work the charity and its many volunteers do every day on behalf of families like ours.
Since then, we have attended several fundraising events organised by them and we hope to have a productive relationship with them for many years to come. Working together, perhaps we can ensure another family’s story does not have as tragic an ending as ours.
As 2014 progressed, we realised we had to adjust to our new lives as best we could. My diary entries soon became so infrequent to the point where now they’ve almost stopped completely.
When we visited Bridger’s house, it became apparent to both of us that we’d never get closure. Now it seems almost ridiculous that we thought closure was even achievable. We feel April’s absence every day, as keenly as we felt it on that awful autumn evening when she was first taken.
What we are slowly learning to do is live with the pain. We’re gradually coming to realise that some days will be worse than others, and that we have to accept the bad days are now part of our lives. It would be easy to wish our suffering was over, and that we were no longer here, but we don’t just have April to think of. We have two other beautiful children who have shown courage and strength beyond their years throughout this whole, terrible trauma. Jazmin and Harley need us and we have to keep going for them, if nothing else.
On our good days we can achieve a lot, much more than we would ever have imagined. We still occasionally make the long journey from Machynlleth to London to meet politicians and charity executives in a bid to stop this nightmare from happening to another family.
One of the reasons I fell in love with Coral when I first met her fifteen years ago was her fire and determination. Once she puts her mind to something, there’s no stopping her. Even Mark Bridger and his unspeakable acts of evil have not been able to extinguish this fire, not completely. This is how I know that she won’t rest until the government makes a legal commitment to ban search engines from returning results showing child pornography.
It was only when we were gathering together our notes in preparation for writing this book that I had the chance to read what Coral had written while we were in Australia. It brought tears to my eyes, but the tears were not solely those of sadness. I was also crying with pride. Because, despite everything that has been thrown at our family, it has remained intact. Bridger may have taken away the light of our lives, but he hasn’t been able to break us. Against what at times seemed like insurmountable odds, we have remained as one tight-knit unit.
‘This is just the start of our fight,’ read the words on the page, in my wife’s handwriting. ‘Goodnight, our baby girl, April Sue-Lyn Jones. You will always be our hearts. We love you.
‘Mum and Dad xxx.’
Acknowledgements
Since April was taken from us, the support we’ve received from friends and strangers alike has been overwhelming. To mention them all by name would probably merit a book in itself, but there are a few people we’d like to recognise.
Writing April’s story has been an emotional and often draining process, but we felt it was important that it was told by the two people who knew and loved her best – her mum and dad. We’d like to thank Kerri Sharp, our editor at Simon & Schuster UK, for allowing us the opportunity to do this. We’d also like to thank our agent Clare Hulton and Jack Falber of Medavia for their role in making this possible. We are grateful, too, to Graham Ogilvy of Scottish News Agency for his advice in the initial stages of this process.
Many others have given freely of their time to read the various drafts of this manuscript, especially Helen O’Brien, Danielle Hoffman and Chantelle Rees, and we’d like to thank them for their input.
Special thanks must go to the ordinary people of Machynlleth, for their unwavering support since the awful night of 1 October 2012. We are indebted to every single person who tried to ease our suffering in some way, even through the smallest of gestures. We often say that the townspeople formed a ‘ring of steel’ around us in our weakest moments and we could not have survived this ordeal without them.
We’d also like to express our gratitude to everyone who helped look for April – from the civilian volunteers who travelled from all corners of the country to join the search party in the first few days after her disappearance, to the highly skilled teams who braved the elements to comb the vast and varied terrain of mid-Wales for six long months. We will never forget what they have done for us.
We are, of course, forever in the debt of everyone who helped bring Mark Bridger to justice, rightfully ensuring that he will never have the freedom to hurt another child again. In particular, we’d like to thank Elwen Evans QC and everyone from the Crown Prosecution Service who worked on the case, as well as the extremely dedicated officers from Dyfed-Powys Police and their colleagues from other forces who assisted them in this investigation. A special mention is reserved for our family liaison officers, Dave Roberts and Hayley Heard. Both have been towers of strength for us and our family and we will remember their kindness a
nd professionalism for the rest of our lives.
Last but not least, we wish to thank our family and close friends. Their unconditional love and support has given us the strength to go on when the burden of our loss seemed too much to bear. Despite their own grief for April, they have always been there for us. But, above all, we’d like to thank our amazing children, Jazmin and Harley, whose bravery and resilience astounds us every day.
Missing People is an independent charity, which offers a lifeline when someone disappears. You can call or text 116 000 for advice, support and options if you, or someone you love, goes missing or runs away – it’s free, 24 hour and confidential.
284 Upper Richmond Road West
London SW14 7JE
Tel: 020 8392 4590
www.missingpeople.org.uk
You can help support Missing People by texting HOPE to 70707 now and give £3 to Missing People. Your gift could help bring a missing child home. Text costs £3 plus network charge. Missing People receives 100 per cent of your donation. Obtain bill payer’s permission. Missing People may contact you in the future to update you on their work.
Customer care 08448 479800. Charity No 1020419.
April Jones Trust
http://www.youcaring.com/nonprofits/april-jones-trust-/183528
April Jones Trust is set up by Coral and Paul Jones to commemorate their daughter and help other children in need, schools, youth clubs and other such worthy causes.
Coral and Paul Jones are tirelessly campaigning for a change in the images you can find on the internet and want a law against people putting these indecent images on the net. April’s killer had accessed indecent images before she was so cruelly taken away.
There are two ways you can help this fundraiser -
• To kindly donate money to April Jones Trust at the web address above
• To sign the April’s Law petition at www.gopetition.com/petitions/aprils-law-uk.html and kindly share it with others and on your social networks
Thank you everyone for supporting and donating to this special fundraiser
APRIL’S LAW 100%
List of Illustrations
All photos from 1–7 © Jones family 2015. No reproduction without permission.
1. Our little fighter. When April was born she weighed only 4lbs 2oz but with our love and care she grew into a smiley baby.
2. Aged seven months, April was already showing her character.
3. April at school, aged four.
4. The Jones family in happier times, 2011. Left to right: Jazmin, Harley, Paul, April and Coral.
5. Coral with April and Harley.
6. A father’s love. Paul with April.
7. April’s last Christmas, aged four.
8. Members of the public queue at the Bro Ddyfi Leisure Centre to sign up to be part of the search for April on the night she went missing, 1 October 2012.
9. Police divers and HM Coastguard carry one of the dinghies to the Dyfi River on day six of the search.
10. Machynlleth clock tower was adorned with pink ribbons throughout the search for April.
11. Day five. Mid-Wales, West Wales and Shropshire Fire and Rescue Services were involved in the search of the Dyfi River near Dyfi Bridge at Macynlleth.
12. HM Coastguard and North Wales fire service crew scour the banks of the river Dyfi, with the RNLI inshore lifeboat from Aberdovey searching the river itself.
13. April missing – days five, six and seven. Specialist sonar equipment was brought in to search the Dyfi River.
14. Coral and Paul in April’s bedroom, left as it was the day she disappeared. Photo taken approximately a year after April went missing.
15. Harley in thought by the sea on day spent with family liaison officers.
16. The fence of ribbons where Paul, on his daily walk with the dogs, tied a pink ribbon for every day April was missing.
17. Paul and Coral, flanked by family liaison officers Dave Roberts and Hayley Heard, arrive at Mold Crown Court to attend the trial of Mark Bridger.
18. Public church service and procession for April on Sunday, day six of the search in and around Macynlleth.
19. April’s funeral. The horse-drawn hearse makes its way down Macynlleth main street followed by hundreds of mourners.
20. Jazz Jones, April’s sister, and mum Coral with the special April balloon, released to celebrate what would have been her sixth birthday, 6 April 2013.
21. Family and friends release the balloons.
22. Paul and Coral’s April tattoos, representing their love and a constant reminder of the daughter they lost.
23. April’s ‘hugging tree’, set on a quiet side of the mountain above Macynlleth. It was covered in crocheted pink squares made by friends, family and members of the public.
All photos from 1–7 © Jones family 2015. No reproduction without permission.
1. Our little fighter. When April was born she weighed only 4lbs 2oz but with our love and care she grew into a smiley baby.
2. Aged seven months, April was already showing her character.
3. April at school, aged four.
4. The Jones family in happier times, 2011. Left to right: Jazmin, Harley, Paul, April and Coral.
5. Coral with April and Harley.
6. A father’s love. Paul with April.
7. April’s last Christmas, aged four.
8. Members of the public queue at the Bro Ddyfi Leisure Centre to sign up to be part of the search for April on the night she went missing, 1 October 2012.
9. Police divers and HM Coastguard carry one of the dinghies to the Dyfi River on day six of the search.
10. Machynlleth clock tower was adorned with pink ribbons throughout the search for April.
11. Day five. Mid-Wales, West Wales and Shropshire Fire and Rescue Services were involved in the search of the Dyfi River near Dyfi Bridge at Macynlleth.
12. HM Coastguard and North Wales fire service crew scour the banks of the river Dyfi, with the RNLI inshore lifeboat from Aberdovey searching the river itself.
13. April missing – days five, six and seven. Specialist sonar equipment was brought in to search the Dyfi River.
14. Coral and Paul in April’s bedroom, left as it was the day she disappeared. Photo taken approximately a year after April went missing.
15. Harley in thought by the sea on day spent with family liaison officers.
16. The fence of ribbons where Paul, on his daily walk with the dogs, tied a pink ribbon for every day April was missing.
17. Paul and Coral, flanked by family liaison officers Dave Roberts and Hayley Heard, arrive at Mold Crown Court to attend the trial of Mark Bridger.
18. Public church service and procession for April on Sunday, day six of the search in and around Macynlleth.
19. April’s funeral. The horse-drawn hearse makes its way down Macynlleth main street followed by hundreds of mourners.
20. Jazz Jones, April’s sister, and mum Coral with the special April balloon, released to celebrate what would have been her sixth birthday, 6 April 2013.
21. Family and friends release the balloons.
22. Paul and Coral’s April tattoos, representing their love and a constant reminder of the daughter they lost.
23. April’s ‘hugging tree’, set on a quiet side of the mountain above Macynlleth. It was covered in crocheted pink squares made by friends, family and members of the public.