Jessica 'asked about Maxine', says Huntley
The first words that passed between Jessican Chapman, Holly Wells and Ian Huntley when they turned up on his doorstep on the day they disappeared were about Maxine Carr, Huntley has told his trial.
Huntley's barrister Stephen Coward QC asked him: “Did either of them speak?”
Huntley replied: “Yes, it was Jessica. She asked how Miss Carr was. She said Miss Carr. I found it quite funny because I’m not used to hearing Maxine referred to in that way.”
Mr Coward asked: “Did you say anything in reply?”
Huntley replied: “I just said she wasn’t very good and she had gone away for a few days.
“I assumed from what they said they must have been in her year, I said thanks and that she didn’t get the job.”
Mr Coward asked: "What, if anything, was said about her not getting the job?''
Huntley replied: “They just asked me if I could tell her that Jessica and Holly had called around and to tell Maxine, Miss Carr, that they were sorry about the job and they hoped to see her soon, words to that effect.”
Mr Coward asked Huntley if he remembered a particular telephone call on Sunday August 4, between himself and Carr at about 6.24/6.25pm that evening.
Huntley said: “I was on the doorstep when I took that call.”
Mr Coward said the call had been made from Carr’s mobile to Huntley’s mobile and had lasted two minutes and 13 seconds.
Mr Coward asked him: “Was that before you saw the girls?”
Huntley replied: “Yes, it was.”
Counsel said: “So that call finished round about 6.26, 6.27. We see from the next item on the schedule that the girls are seen towards the sports centre at 6.28 and 30 seconds.”
Mr Coward then asked Huntley if he remembered a text message at 6.31pm. Huntley said he did remember a message and thought it was Carr sending it to him.
Asked what it was about, he said: “I believe she said something about not making her feel bad about going out.”
Mr Coward asked if in the earlier conversation, at about 6.24, there had been any talk about what Carr was planning to do that night.
Huntley said there had been and told the jury: “I believe she said – I’m not very certain – but I believe it was along the lines that she might be going out with her mother that evening.”
Questioned about how he reacted to her saying she might go out, Huntley said: “I was not overly happy about it.”
Asked what had happened after the conversation with the two girls, Huntley told the court: “Holly put her hand up towards her face on a couple of occasions and on one occasion I noticed a small amount of blood under her nose.”
