Huntley returns to Rampton after facing new charge at first court appearance

Ian Huntley seemed deaf to the furore surrounding him yesterday when he appeared in court for the first time since he was charged with the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.

For the first time in three weeks, Mr Huntley left Rampton psychiatric hospital to confront the intense revulsion the girls' deaths have generated.

But as he was led into the dock he gave every appearance of not caring, or even noticing, that all eyes in the room were fixed on him.

His features expressionless, the 28-year-old caretaker stared towards the floor at Peterborough magistrates' court, failing to acknowledge his brother and former wife two feet ahead of him.

He was fast-tracked through the legal process. In a rare move, his preliminary magistrates' hearing and his first Crown Court appearance were dealt with in the same room only minutes apart.

Once Marie Davenport, the magistrate chairing the session, heard he was to face a further charge of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, the case was transferred to the Crown Court and she was replaced in her seat by Judge Coleman. When the room was given the status of the higher court, the judge allowed psychiatrists at Rampton a further 28 days to assess Mr Huntley's mental state.

The most basic requirement of the typical defendant – to give his or her name, age and address – was taken out of Mr Huntley's hands. Instead, his barrister, Maureen Baker, confirmed all three.

Mr Huntley was flanked by a policeman, a security guard and a psychiatric nurse in the dock where his fiancée, Maxine Carr, had sat 20 days ago charged with trying to pervert the course of justice. He stood motionless when asked to sit until guided into the chair.

Clad in a burgundy sweatshirt and blue tracksuit bottoms, he fidgeted incessantly – pulling at his collar, rubbing his arms and face, his head constantly moving as he repeatedly moistened his lips. He showed no emotion as Karim Khalil outlined the prosecution case, describing how the disappearance of the two 10-year-olds from Soham, Camb- bridgeshire, on 4 August had started a "growing and substantial hunt ... to discover their whereabouts".

Only twice did Huntley, of Soham, seem to break his apparently trance-like state. He stared in the direction of the judge after Ms Carr's name was mentioned. Later, he turned briefly to ask the nurse next to him a question, eliciting a quiet, monosyllabic response.

But he did not acknowledge his brother Wayne and his wife, Claire, the woman to whom he too had once been married.

Nor did he appear to notice the people sitting directly behind them – the police family liaison officers whose task it had been to tell Holly's and Jessica's parents that their daughters had been found dead near Lakenheath air base. Neither set of parents was in court. Instead, Detective Sergeant Chris Mead, for the Wells family, and the Chapmans' representative, Detective Constables Brian Stevens and Gay Mallowes, sat close to the dock with other officers.

Mr Khalil outlined a third charge of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice – that, with Ms Carr, 25, he had lied to police. Mr Huntley was taken briefly to the cells before being brought back before Judge Coleman for the 20-minute Crown Court hearing. The judge said it was customary to wait eight days before a Crown Court appearance but the higher authority was needed to grant the hospital's request and an immediate hearing was agreed by the Crown Prosecution Service and the defence.

He said Mr Huntley would stand trial if deemed fit and there was no successful application to dismiss the charges. Legal aid was requested and reporting restrictions were not lifted.

Outside, a crowd of more than 300 had gathered beyond the barricades and the 140 police officers drafted in to maintain a cordon around the court. Just after midday, Mr Huntley left the building in a van with blacked-out windows escorted by three police cars. Screams erupted and eggs, tomatoes and plastic water bottles were thrown at the van.