Day six in court (From Free Press Series)

Day six in court

DESIREE Baldwin begged her husband to tell her where her daughter Jenna's body was buried, the court heard.

Extracts from the conversation between Baldwin and his wife -held after he was charged with the 15-year-old's murder on October 29, last year - were read out in court.

Baldwin was on remand at Parc Prison, near Bridgend, when he spoke to Desiree on the telephone for around 10 minutes on November 10.

During the conversation Desiree begged Baldwin to divulge Jenna's whereabouts, telling her husband the evidence was overwhelming.

She referred to a shovel bought on September 6 - but he maintained he was innocent.

Finally, he said he would talk to her if she came to prison. She did so on November 13, but found him "cold" and distant.

Then on November 17, after threatening him that he would never see Josh again during another phone call, he finally confessed and told her where the body was.

The court also heard how Desiree's suspicions had grown.

Michael Baldwin claimed he had been called by Jenna, despite the landline at Jasmine Cottage, Ffrwdd Road being disconnected some days before.

When Desiree quizzed him on this, he said the call came on his mobile - but she was confused further because he had recently swapped his mobile.

He said Jenna would have known his number because she was good with numbers.

Desiree said she "didn't disbelieve" her husband when he said Jenna was with a friend, but he didn't ask who.

Desiree said she thought Jenna knew the defendant had swapped phones with his brother.

On September 10, Baldwin told his wife Jenna had been at home with a redhead girl while she was at work.

When Desiree bombarded him with questions about where her daughter had been he said he didn't bother to ask, and that Jenna had said she would be back in a few days.

On September 10 she found the house in a "real mess", with the bathroom floor soaking wet. She felt this was odd, because no dirty clothes were on the floor, which normally Jenna would leave.

Baldwin told her Jenna had fixed something to eat - but there were no dirty dishes. She told the court Baldwin would "never ever" clear up after the teenager.

Mr Aubrey said there was no sign of Jenna having prepared food or eaten food and he asked the question again would Mr Baldwin have cleared up and Desiree said: "Definitely not."

Desiree checked to see if any of her daughter's clothes were missing, and discovered navy blue tracksuit bottoms with red and white stripes were gone, along with a blue hooded top and little top, along with two lacy bras.

Jenna's parents received a visit from received a visit from a school education and welfare officer on September 12 - they still had not heard from the teenager.

Desiree was "embarrassed" by Baldwin's revelations that Jenna had appeared to be on drugs when he saw her.

As soon as the welfare officer left, at about 5pm, Desiree called the police to record Jenna missing - but she didn't wait for them, setting off in her car to drive around Blaenavon looking for her daughter. She left Baldwin in the house.

A DESPERATE Desire Baldwin tried to discover if it was Jenna texting her following her disappearance, the court heard.

She was unconvinced the barrage of text messages received from the middle of October onwards were genuine.

Desiree said the messages were riddled with spelling mistakes Jenna would not have made because she was a "star pupil in English".

She also doubted the authenticity of the text messages when one was sent to her reading: 'Mam in my friends. I'm OK. So Sorry, number one bumble bee', jurors were told.

Desiree thought it should read "queen bee," which was her nick-name. After discussing this with Baldwin, she received another text message saying 'Jenna OK. Queen Bee. My name is Griffiths not Baldwin'.

She also sent a text posing a question only Jenna could answer - what was painted at "Granshers house'.

The answer was a radiator but the reply on October 19 was 'a Christmas painting'.

She told Baldwin someone was having a cruel joke. On October 22 Desiree was elated when she received a text message saying it was two radiators that were painted, jurors heard.

Jenna's natural father, Nigel Brookfied was sceptical and warned her against being over-confident that Jenna was alive.

Earlier in the proceedings jurors heard how the messages began soon after Michael Baldwin had urged her to get over the teenager's disappearance, and "get back to normal."

She said:"How on earth can we get back to normal when my daughter may be dead." Mr Aubrey then asked if that was the time the text messages started and Desiree replied 'Yes."

The first message Desiree received on her mobile phone was timed at 6.54pm on October 17, which read: 'Mam help me.'

Mr Aubrey asked Desiree if Baldwin had ever been present when a silent call was made, to which she answered no. She received a call on October 16, while out shopping with Baldwin.

But when the call was received, Desiree said her husband had wandered off to another shop.

Desiree told the court how she became more and more frantic, making 500 posters of Jenna and distributing them throughout the borough. She took compassionate leave on September 16.