Mr Ian Huntley admitted at his murder trial in London today that he killed schoolgirl Jessica Chapman.
Mr Huntley, who denies the murder of the 10-year-old and her best friend Holly Wells, insisted that Holly died in his bath in a series of accidents.
Mr Richard Latham QC, prosecuting, asked him about how he had pulled Holly's lifeless body from his water-filled bath and then checked Jessica for signs of life.
He said: "You realised you had killed her?" Mr Huntley replied: "Yes." The lawyer asked: "You had killed her, hadn't you?" Mr Huntley's voice dropped to a whisper as he replied: "Yes."
Mr Latham asked Mr Huntley: "How, if someone put a single hand across your face, do you start breathing again?" Mr Huntley said: "Move the hand away from the face."
The QC suggested that alternatively you would turn your head to one side and Mr Huntley agreed. Mr Latham asked: "She was, if you are right, suffocated, wasn't she?" Mr Huntley replied: "Yes."
Mr Latham went on: "If you killed her by putting your hand across her face like that, something prevented her from turning her head.
"Now, Mr Huntley, perhaps you will understand why I am more interested in your other hand. Once again I ask the question, what were you doing with your other hand?" Mr Huntley said: "I don't know."
Mr Latham said: "Well, what must you have been doing with your other hand, Mr Huntley. Will you just think about it?" Mr Huntley said: "Possibly restraining somehow."
Mr Latham asked what she would have been doing if his hand went over her face and she was unable to breathe. Mr Huntley replied: "Struggling." Mr Latham said: "Fighting for her very life, wouldn't she, Mr Huntley?" Mr Huntley said: "Yes."