Lawyers for the man accused of murdering two 10-year-old school friends are likely to accept that he met the girls, let them into his home, was the only person present at their deaths, and dumped their bodies, the prosecution have told court number one at the Old Bailey.
The revelation came at the end of yesterday's proceedings in the Soham murder trial, in which the prosecution began to outline its case.
Until then, both Mr Ian Huntley and his former girlfriend Ms Maxine Carr, who faces charges of assisting an offender and perverting the course of justice, had sat impassive, a uniformed police officer between them and officers behind.
Despite what Mr Huntley's lawyers might concede, he denies killing Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, who disappeared from near their homes in the Cambridge-shire town on 4th August last year.
The defendant spent most of the day looking straight ahead, wearing a white shirt and blue tie. Ms Carr (26) wore a pale blue jacket over a striped top.
Mr Richard Latham QC, for the prosecution, told the court: "For some reason known only to him he chose to murder them both. "We allege that he went on to remove the bodies from Soham." Mr Latham said Mr Huntley had repeatedly changed his story to neighbours and police who were frantically searching the tiny Cam-bridgeshire village for the two girls on the night they disappeared. At first he said he had not seen them, Mr Latham said. Soon after, he said that he had seen them and joined in the search. "He was very together. At this point he has just removed two
bodies from his home and dumped them miles away," Mr Latham said. "He is working with the police officer who is looking for the very people that he has just dumped." Huntley "was relaxed, not anxious like everyone else, like he was just walking his dog," Mr Latham said.
Opposite Huntley sat the families of the two murdered girls. Ms Sharon and Mr Leslie Chapman were joined by their daughters Rebecca (18) and Alison (15). Near them were Mr Kevin and Ms Nicola Wells. Their son, Oliver, did not attend the hearing.