UK girls: Video link for suspect

Maxine Carr spoke to the court via video link for her own protection

PETERBOROUGH, England -- The woman charged with perverting the course of justice in the case of two murdered British schoolgirls has broken down during her second court appearance.

Maxine Carr spoke via a live video link only to confirm her personal details and to let the judge know that she could hear what was going on during Thursday's brief hearing at Peterborough Crown Court.

Carr's partner, Ian Huntley, is accused of murdering the two schoolgirls, Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells, whose disappearance sparked a huge search and outpouring of grief once the bodies were found.

The video link was set up to avoid a repeat of the ugly scenes at her first hearing when many in a 500-strong crowd shouted abuse and waved placards as she arrived at and left the court. (Full story)

Carr, 25, of Soham, Cambridgeshire, is a former teaching assistant who worked in Jessica and Holly's class at St. Andrew's Primary School in Soham.

Her case was adjourned until September 27 by a judge at Peterborough Crown Court.

After the hearing, Carr's solicitor Roy James said he had supported the judge's decision to raise the issue of publicity surrounding the case and remind journalists of the dangers of contempt of court.

"I would repeat that Miss Carr has not been charged with murder or abduction in this case and to suggest otherwise would be at best irresponsible and at worst totally unfair," he said.

"I don't wish to make any other comment."

Holly Wells and Jessica Carr

He said arrangements for Carr's appearance at the next court hearing had not been decided but it was likely that she would again appear via a video link.

Jessica and Holly, both aged 10, disappeared on August 4. Their bodies were found in a woodland spot about 10 miles from their homes on August 17.

Huntley, 28, who lived with Carr in Soham, is a former caretaker at Soham Village College -- a secondary school on the same site as St. Andrew's Primary School.

He is currently being held at a high security hospital under the terms of mental health legislation and has not yet appeared in court.