FOLLOW our live blog of the Nikitta Grender trial with our reporters sending updates from court.

Pregnant teenager Nikitta Grender was found dead at her Lliswerry home after a fire in February last year.

Carl Whant, 27, of no fixed address, stands accused of the rape and murder of Miss Grender on February 5 last year. He is also accused of arson and child destruction. He denies all the charges.

#nikitta trial finished for today. Read @ArgusBFrampton's story in tomorrow's Argus Wed Jan 25 16:14:11 2012
Statement gives details of where Whant and Ryan Mayes went on evening of Feb 4, jury hears Wed Jan 25 16:10:46 2012
Clegg is now reading Whant's statement #nikitta Wed Jan 25 16:10:26 2012
He took Whant's witness statement on Feb 5, 2011, to verify where Ryan Mayes was when #nikitta died Wed Jan 25 16:10:25 2012
PC Peter Clegg is next to give evidence #nikitta Wed Jan 25 16:06:59 2012
If no assistance was given such a wound is likely to cause death within minutes, jury told #nikitta Wed Jan 25 15:52:49 2012
the wound to the artery in the neck was the cause of death, jury told #nikitta Wed Jan 25 15:49:25 2012
Leadbeater: grazes and scratches might have been present and hidden by fire damage #nikitta Wed Jan 25 15:41:55 2012
Leadbeater: saw nothing else in or on the body that indicated other wounds #nikitta Wed Jan 25 15:40:33 2012
Leadbeater: found nothing to indicate #nikitta was alive during the fire Wed Jan 25 15:38:34 2012
Leadbeater: damage to the body was consistent with being exposed to heat or flames #nikitta Wed Jan 25 15:36:11 2012
Def counsel Christopher Kinch now cross examining Dr Leadbeater #nikitta Wed Jan 25 15:34:36 2012
Leadbeater: it wounded back of the baby. Can't say how deep the wound was Wed Jan 25 15:31:28 2012
The killing of the mother killed the baby, court told #nikitta Wed Jan 25 15:30:43 2012
Leadbeater: further examination found a stab wound in #nikitta's belly. It was a sharp force entry measuring 1cm by 0.5cm Wed Jan 25 15:25:41 2012
Leadbeater: examined the body of the baby from #nikitta and noticed a wound to the back Wed Jan 25 15:25:25 2012
Leadbeater: not to find carbon monoxide raises suspicion that a person was not alive during expose to smoke #nikitta Wed Jan 25 15:21:36 2012
Leadbeater: blood was taken from body to see if carbon monoxide was present. There was none #nikitta Wed Jan 25 15:19:54 2012
Leadbeater: neck wound was 10cm deep #nikitta Wed Jan 25 15:17:54 2012
Leadbeater: stab wound to neck went from right to left, backwards and downwards #nikitta Wed Jan 25 15:12:45 2012
Leadbeater: at first didn't see the stab wounds to #nikitta's body because of the fire damage Wed Jan 25 15:11:21 2012
Leadbeater: concluded it was stab wound, which had cut through an artery that supplied blood to the right side of the head #nikitta Wed Jan 25 15:06:28 2012
Leadbeater: found there was a sharp force injury in the neck above breast bone, 2cm wide #nikitta Wed Jan 25 15:05:25 2012
Leadbeater: did not find any evidence that pressure had been applied to the neck #nikitta Wed Jan 25 15:03:46 2012
Leadbeater: the body was that of a pregnant woman #nikitta Wed Jan 25 15:01:38 2012
Leadbeater: removed the body and took it to the mortuary at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, for post mortem examination #nikitta Wed Jan 25 14:59:41 2012
Leadbeater: head was covered by material thought to be bedding #nikitta Wed Jan 25 14:57:31 2012
Leadbeater: body lay on it's back and was damaged consistent with exposure to flames #nikitta Wed Jan 25 14:55:43 2012
Leadbeater: there was signs of fire damage but no obvious signs of a disturbance #nikitta Wed Jan 25 14:52:37 2012
Leadbeater: also saw the remains of animal which might have been a small dog #nikitta Wed Jan 25 14:51:45 2012
Leadbeater: at #nikitta's flat saw the remains of a bed and in that bed a body lay on its back Wed Jan 25 14:50:35 2012
Most family and friends have left the public gallery while this evidence is given #nikitta Wed Jan 25 14:48:47 2012
Home office pathologist Dr Stephen Leadbeater is up next #nikitta Wed Jan 25 14:47:48 2012
Sgt O'Keefe's evidence has finished #nikitta Wed Jan 25 14:47:13 2012
O'Keefe: I would have checked notes were correct with Whant as I went along #nikitta Wed Jan 25 14:29:38 2012
Kinch: result of trigger notes is that anyone who disagrees with your recollection later is in a position were they can't argue #nikitta Wed Jan 25 14:25:25 2012
O'Keefe: Whant said he "always" went to nan's for cigarettes. Asked if he woke her up, Whant replied "yes" #nikitta Wed Jan 25 14:22:03 2012
O'Keefe: Whant said he left house in Corelli Street to get "fags from nan's" #nikitta Wed Jan 25 14:17:55 2012
O'Keefe: asked Whant where he was in the hours before #nikitta's death Wed Jan 25 14:13:37 2012
O'Keefe: Wrote up statement on Feb 9 based on "tigger notes" of what Whant said, having previously given updates to officers #nikitta Wed Jan 25 14:12:26 2012
O'Keefe: would have confirmed details given by Whant as written in notebook to check what he had recorded was correct #nikitta Wed Jan 25 14:07:52 2012
O'Keefe: you wouldn't do that in the first instance, a formal interview would be arranged. That day he simply took "aid memoirs" #nikitta Wed Jan 25 14:04:09 2012
Mr Kinch questions why a full statement wasn't taken from Whant when O'Keefe first spoke to him #nikitta Wed Jan 25 14:02:30 2012
O'Keefe: Whant was first treated as an alibi witness to verify the accounts of others including Ryan Mayes #nikitta Wed Jan 25 13:59:31 2012
O'Keefe: Whant did tell him he got cigarettes from nan and he can verify the note made in his book #nikitta Wed Jan 25 13:56:02 2012
Mr Kinch suggests Whant did not say he obtained cigarettes from his nan on the morning of Feb 5, only that he had done in the past #nikitta Wed Jan 25 13:54:17 2012
Mr Kinch suggests to the court that some things recorded in Sgt O'Keefe's police note book are incorrect #nikitta Wed Jan 25 13:53:01 2012
Court hears Sgt O'Keefe noted how Whant told him #nikitta had a sexual relationship with Ryan Mayes' step dad Nicky Mayes Wed Jan 25 13:51:11 2012
Def counsel Christopher Kinch QC is starting cross examination of Sgt O'Keefe #nikitta Wed Jan 25 13:47:57 2012
Sgt Justin O'Keefe is first witness up today to continue the evidence he started giving yesterday #nikitta Wed Jan 25 13:45:04 2012
Judge tells jury a post mortem examination on #nikitta's dog found it died of smoke inhalation and heat. No evidence of physical harm Wed Jan 25 13:43:24 2012
Waiting for #nikitta trial to start Wed Jan 25 13:33:22 2012
#nikitta trial is to now start again at 1.30pm Wed Jan 25 12:23:45 2012
Back at Newport Crown Court today for the #nikitta murder trial. Follow me for live coverage. Expecting a start soon Wed Jan 25 12:03:28 2012
RT @ArgusBFrampton: Jury in #nikitta murder trial on site visits this morning.Follow @ArgusNCrockett from 12 when evidence is expected t ... Wed Jan 25 09:46:30 2012