Murder trial told of burial

Jenna Baldwin was buried in a shallow grave

A man accused of murdering his step-daughter told police and forensic scientists where he buried her body, a jury has heard.

A forensic archaeologist described how Mike Baldwin pointed to the shallow grave where 15-year-old Jenna Baldwin's body was found.

Mr Baldwin, 36, of Pontnewynydd in Pontypool, south Wales, denies murdering Jenna between 3 September and 11 September last year, claiming her death was an accident.

Jenna's body was found buried at a beauty spot near Blaenavon, 12 weeks after she went missing from her home in Abersychan, near Pontypool.

Giving evidence at Cardiff Crown Court, forensic archaeologist Barrie Simpson from Birmingham University described how on 18 November last year Mr Baldwin, accompanied by his solicitor, was taken to a site near a lay-by off the Blaenavon mountain road.

Once there the jury heard how he pointed to the shallow grave which, according to witnesses, was covered with branches and stones.

The jury also heard evidence from a woman who said she saw a man standing in a lay-by near the spot where the body was found.

Mike Baldwin denies murdering his stepdaughter

Andrea Evans told the court she saw a car parked facing up the hill with its hatch-back open.

She told the jury that in the back of the car she saw flowery material which was tucked around something in the boot.

She said it was like "a mound in the back of the car".

The murder trial, which is in its third week, has heard how Mr Baldwin waged a "callous and cynical" campaign to pretend Jenna had run away.

David Aubrey QC, prosecuting, said: "He secretly bought a mobile phone and sent a series of texts to Desiree pretending they were from Jenna. "He bought tracing paper to copy her handwriting to send a letter pretending it was from Jenna." The court was told that Mr Baldwin told Desiree he had killed Jenna accidentally during an argument.

In other evidence, Olive Brookfield, who is the mother of Jenna's natural father Nigel Brookfield, told of a conversation she had had with Jenna about Mr Baldwin before she disappeared in September last year.

Mrs Brookfield said she had asked Jenna: "You get on with Mike, don't you?"

But she said Jenna had replied: "No, I hate him."

Last week the trial heard how Mr Baldwin's children were afraid of him because he believed in corporal punishment.

And on Friday a neighbour told the court that she heard blazing rows between the schoolgirl and her family.

Merna Boucher said she heard Jenna shouting and swearing at her step-father just before she went missing last September.

The trial continues.