Day 18 in court (From Free Press Series)

Day 18 in court

JURORS were listening to claims that Baldwin had a series of conversations with psychiatric nurse Stephen Bonar, at Parc Prison near Bridgend, while on remand last November.

The court heard he admitted:

Swiping Jenna so she fell down the stairs at Jasmine Cottage, Ffrwd Road.

Driving her around in the front seat of his car.

Ending up in the lay-by near Fiddler's Elbow, carrying through the trees and burying her.

Mr Bonar said Baldwin cried as he recalled the alleged events, and that he feared his wife would never forgive him and he would be stopped from seeing his other children.

The incident is alleged to have happened after Baldwin finished a nightshift where he worked at Brandon's poultry factory, Abergavenny.

Mr Bonar told the court: "Mike explained to me he had been on a nightshift, returned home and gone to bed.

"Mike said that he was woken by loud banging. He initially tried to ignore it but then realised it was his own front door. There was shouting as well.

"Eventually he did give up trying to sleep and went down to open the front door."

Mr Bonar said Baldwin told him Jenna was at the door and came in shouting and "having a dig" at her stepdad.

Mr Bonar said: "Mike said she appeared to be under the influence.

"He explained that Jenna had a problem after being introduced to drugs and alcohol. Her attitude had changed. Mike said it (her attitude) had changed over the last 18 months."

Mr Bonar said Baldwin wished he had "bit his lip" and "walked away" from Jenna.

He added that Baldwin claimed he had tried to ignore her.

The court was told Baldwin went upstairs but came back down for a glass of water.

Mr Bonar said:"Mike said it had gone quiet. Mike said that reaching the top of the stairs Jenna had come out of the bathroom.

"Mike said Jenna had started to have a go at him." David Aubrey QC, prosecuting, asked if Jenna was swearing at Baldwin. "Yes,"Mr Bonar replied.

He added: "Mike said he didn't know why, but he turned and swiped. He swiped with his left hand."

Mr Aubrey demonstrated to the jury how Baldwin allegedly extended his arm with his palm open and swung out.

Mr Bonar said: "He said the next thing, Jenna was at the bottom of the stairs.

"I think he had caught Jenna across the face."

Mr Bonar added: "When she was at the bottom of the stairs Mike said he felt she was joking around."

Mr Aubrey asked what happened next - Mr Bonar continued:"Mike said he had gone down the stairs. He put Jenna in the car.

"He sat Jenna in the front seat with the belt on and the window down."

The court was told Baldwin then allegedly drove his car for a while with Jenna in the front passenger seat and eventually pulled into the lay-by on the B4246.

Mr Bonar said: "Having realised it was more serious, he put his head in his hands and started to cry.

"Mike said he panicked. He got out of the car...he took Jenna into the bushes and he placed her down."

Mr Aubrey asked:"It was by chance he happened to be in this layby?

"When he was in the lay-by he realised it was more serious?"

"Yes,"Mr Bonar replied.

The court was told Baldwin allegedly carried Jenna's body through the trees and bushes and put her down.

Jurors were told that Baldwin did not say whether he buried her on the discussion, which took place on November 17.

Baldwin also allegedly spoke of his fears that Desiree would never forgive him, or let him see his children again, and of his concern for his own mother.

It was not until a third conversation on Tuesday November 19, after the body had been found, that Baldwin went into more detail with Mr Bonar.

Baldwin told Bonar about his visit to the site with police, and indicated with his hands - approximately 10ins - the depth of the grave.

Peter Murphy, defending, asked Mr Bonar if he took notes during the conversations. He replied that he didn't, other than medical notes.

Mr Murphy said: "It is difficult to get the right impression of how this conversation took place.

"It was broken up. Sometimes he would cry, and then say a bit more. It was jagged."

"Yes,"replied Mr Bonar.

Mr Aubrey asked: "No matter how broken up it might have been, how accurate was it?"

"That's what Mike told me,"Mr Bonar said.

MICHAEL Baldwin swore on his children's lives to police he did not know what had happened to stepdaughter Jenna Brookfield.

Baldwin made the promise as he was interviewed at Newport central station following his arrest, the court heard.

Baldwin - who also told officers he did not know where Jenna was - later repeatedly declined to comment when detectives demanded he tell them what had happened to the 15-year-old.

The jury were read transcripts of witness statements and police interviews given by Baldwin.

During the interviews, officers repeatedly asked him how he killed teenage Jenna and where he had dumped her body.

In the time Jenna was missing, five written statements were taken from him and two video statements.

After his arrest on October 29, 2002, in connection with Jenna's murder, police interviewed Baldwin 26 times. He was formally charged with his stepdaughter's murder on November 2.

Two of the interviews were conducted after Jenna's body was found in a shallow grave in a lay-by on the B4246, near Fiddler's Elbow.

There were more than 1,000 pages of transcripts from police interviews, with the key extracts read in court by prosecuting barrister Huw Evans.

The jury was told that on October 31, an investigating officer said: "Is it not now time to tell us where she is?"

Baldwin replied: "On the kids' lives I don't know where she is."

"What's the truth?" officers demanded, adding, "I think it's about time you started telling us the truth.

"Why do this to Desiree?

"Do the right thing, what have you done to Jenna?"

Baldwin said: "I'm telling you the truth. Nothing. I've done nothing to her - honest."

Officers asked him how long he would keep denying it.

He replied: "As long as you want because I have not done anything." More interviews were held on November 1, with a mental health nurse present.

During one, officers asked: "Are you a violent person, Mike?" There was a long silence, then Baldwin said: "I think I'm going to be sick."

The interview had to be suspended and recommenced at 21.26. Officers said: "What types of things do you learn in judo that could kill someone?"

"No comment," Baldwin replied.

Later officers asked again: "When did you kill Jenna? Where is she now? What have you done with her?

"We want to know where Jenna is."

He declined to comment, and the officer urged him to consider this wife and their children, saying: "Think about Desiree. Think about (your children) - they're only young, they're going through this as well."

Baldwin did not reply.

On November 2, officers asked where Jenna was, and he declined to comment.

In the first interview following his arrest, officers asked Baldwin if he understood what was happening, and he replied: "You're pointing the finger at me, like, Jenna's gone missing."

Later police asked:"Are you responsible for the disappearance and death of Jenna?"

"No. Definitely not. No," Baldwin said.

He said he used to give Jenna money and cigarettes but after police asked him whether he smacked her, replied: "No, I would not hit Jenna, no."

The court was told Baldwin admitted to dectives that he made all the phone calls and text messages received by Jenna's family after she had disappeared.

Desiree, 40, her and Baldwin's ten-year-old son, Josh, and Nigel Brookfield, Jenna's natural father, all received calls.

The trial has been adjourned until tomorrow, Thursday, July 10.