Bridger Attacker 'In Bid To Find April's Body'

A prisoner slashed child killer Mark Bridger's face to get him to reveal where April Jones' body was hidden, a court has heard.

Convicted murderer and rapist Juvinal Ferreira, 24, used a knife fashioned out of a razor to cut Bridger from temple to chin at the top security Wakefield Prison, West Yorkshire, in July.

Ferreira was given a second life sentence at Leeds Crown Court and had five years added to his minimum term, meaning he will not be released before 2036.

Ferreira, who was born in Guinea and grew up in Gambia, had previously admitted wounding with intent.

Police were told Ferreira and other life prisoners had talked about attacking Bridger to make him reveal the whereabouts of April's body.

Jonathan Sharp, prosecuting, said: "He said that Bridger's crime had been discussed, and he claimed people had suggested that if Bridger was attacked, rather than say befriended, Bridger would then be more likely to reveal where April Jones' body was."

The premeditated attack happened three days after Bridger was allowed to associate with other prisoners.

Ferreira fashioned a weapon out of a prison-issue razor with extra blades attached to the handle.

Mr Sharp said: "The defendant saw him and walked directly up to him with the blade held between thumb and forefinger.

"He then slashed him down the face, causing a deep wound extending from temple to chin.

"He paused for a moment and looked Bridger directly in the eyes, in Bridger's own words 'as if to admire his work or show me who it was'."

The court heard he also suffered a cut to his arm as he tried to defend himself.

He required more than 30 stitches to the face wound, which required surgery under general anaesthetic. He will be scarred for life.

Mr Justice Coulson, who sentenced Ferreira over a videolink, said the motive for the attack was no mitigation.

"Convicted murderers cannot appoint themselves as unpaid investigators of another crime, no matter how serious," he said.

"They plainly cannot do that by themselves committing violent crime to do so."

Robin Frieze, defending, said Ferreira did not attack Bridger to enhance his own status in prison, for reward or because he was incited to do it.

"He does not suggest he was put up to it, but he listened to talk within the prison and he was under the impression that if he put the complainant in a state of fear then it was more likely it would achieve closure for the family of his victim," Mr Frieze said.

"He appreciates that was a wholly misguided and wrong thing to do."

When the judge told Ferreira he was about to be sentenced, the life prisoner replied: "No problem."

April was kidnapped by 47-year-old Bridger outside her home in Machynlleth, mid-Wales, on October 1, 2012. He is serving a life sentence for her murder.

Despite police launching one of their biggest ever search operations, April's body has never been found. Bridger has repeatedly claimed he cannot remember what he did with her.