Jenna murder trial pregnancy claim

Mike Baldwin said Jenna "got what she deserved," his cellmate said

A man accused of killing his teenage stepdaughter was having an affair with her, his murder trial has heard.

The claim came from a man who shared a cell with Michael Baldwin while he was on remand at Parc Prison in Bridgend over the death of 15-year-old Jenna Baldwin.

Mark Dando, who is serving a five-year sentence, told Cardiff Crown Court on Wednesday that the 36-year-old had confessed to him that he hit Jenna during a row after she said she was pregnant.

Earlier in the day, Dando told the court that Mr Baldwin had said the baby was his. But under cross-examination, he said he did not know who the father was and withdrew the statement.

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

Dando told the jury that he and Mr Baldwin had begun talking about Jenna's disappearance when his cellmate revealed that the argument between him and his stepdaughter centred around her pregnancy claim.

Dando said: "Mike said he had done it because she was winding him up. He said they were having an affair and that's when it all started.

Jenna claimed she was pregnant, Dando said

"He said the main argument started when she said she was pregnant and that's when he hit her."

At this point during evidence, Dando stipulated that he believed Mr Baldwin was the father. Hours later, however, he was to withdraw that comment.

Dando told the jury that Mr Baldwin had demonstrated to him how he had hit Jenna on the side of her neck with his hand and then heard "a crack".

"Mike said she got what she deserved and that she was a pain the arse. He said she always used to pick on him and wind him up for no reason."

Mr Baldwin claims that Jenna fell down the stairs during a heated argument at the family home, and died as a result.

He claims he panicked and decided to bury her at a local beauty spot known as Fiddlers Elbow.

Jenna went missing from her family's home in September last year and her body was found 12 weeks later.