FOLLOW our live blog of the Nikitta Grender trial with our reporters sending updates from 10.30am today.

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.

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@ryanmartin29 jury are going out tomorrow so could be any time from then Mon Feb 20 22:14:59 +0000 2012

See tomorrow's @southwalesargus for @ArgusAChalk's full coverage of the #nikitta trial today Mon Feb 20 17:59:53 +0000 2012

End of today's evidence at the #nikitta trial, to resume tomorrow at 10.15am Mon Feb 20 16:14:20 +0000 2012

Judge: the group then went to a house in Corelli Street. No one in the car remembers stopping at a garage for cigarettes #nikitta Mon Feb 20 16:13:27 +0000 2012

Judge: no such incident was logged in the pub's incident book and none of the group or door staff saw it #nikitta Mon Feb 20 16:11:46 +0000 2012

Judge: Whant and Ryan met up with friends and went to The Greyhound pub. Whant claims he had scuffle with an Asian man #nikitta Mon Feb 20 16:10:11 +0000 2012

Judge: Whant said he had also had sex with Ryan's ex girlfriend Laura McClaren. Both Ryan and Laura disputed this #nikitta Mon Feb 20 16:08:45 +0000 2012

Judge: Whant claimed he had consensual sex with #nikitta on Feb 4. Ryan Mayes said that did not happen Mon Feb 20 16:07:02 +0000 2012

Judge: they stopped at #nikitta's flat so Ryan could get changed Mon Feb 20 16:06:07 +0000 2012

Judge: he changed his mind and was to watch the Wales v England rugby match at Ryan's mum's house #nikitta Mon Feb 20 16:05:40 +0000 2012

Judge: Whant went to work on Feb 4 and he was to buy ingredients to cook a curry for the couple that night #nikitta Mon Feb 20 16:05:04 +0000 2012

Judge: Whant met his girlfriend Rachel in 2009 he spent most nights at her home #nikitta Mon Feb 20 16:03:49 +0000 2012

Judge: the fire was slow burning and the charring on the door suggested it had been in a closed to position #nikitta Mon Feb 20 16:01:20 +0000 2012

Judge: the fire originated in the bedroom and started on the bed. No evidence of accelerant, most likely started using a lighter #nikitta Mon Feb 20 15:58:32 +0000 2012

Judge: #nikitta's bedroom window was smashed by the heat. Fire was not very large, firefighters put it out and found #nikitta's body Mon Feb 20 15:57:14 +0000 2012

Judge: firefighters described seeing dark and thick smoke coming from #nikitta's windows. The door to the flat was not locked Mon Feb 20 15:54:00 +0000 2012

Judge: Voisey did not hear #nikitta return home at 1am Mon Feb 20 15:52:05 +0000 2012

Judge: Miss Voisey heard the fire alarm at 5.30am, again when she woke at 6.30am and again at 7.50am when her own alarm started #nikitta Mon Feb 20 15:51:05 +0000 2012

Judge: if that evidence is to be relied upon on you must consider that that noise could not have been caused by #nikitta or Ryan Mayes Mon Feb 20 15:49:15 +0000 2012

Judge: when she left she noticed #nikitta's living room light on and the curtains were open Mon Feb 20 15:47:39 +0000 2012

Judge: the sister of neighbour Sarah Voisey said she heard footsteps in #nikitta's flat above around 9.30pm Mon Feb 20 15:47:08 +0000 2012

Judge: a lighter was found in #nikitta's flat. I have found nothing to suggest a link between that lighter and the fire Mon Feb 20 15:44:32 +0000 2012

Judge: scientist said there was no smell of fire or smoke on Whant's jacket #nikitta Mon Feb 20 15:44:04 +0000 2012

Judge: DNA matching #nikitta's was found in blood on Whant's shirt Mon Feb 20 15:40:21 +0000 2012

Judge: scientist said this could either mean #nikitta didn't scratch Whant, or she did but the evidence was destroyed by the fire Mon Feb 20 15:39:37 +0000 2012

Judge: no DNA matching Whant's was found underneath #nikitta's finger nails. Mon Feb 20 15:38:20 +0000 2012

Judge: DNA from another unknown male was found underneath #nikitta's finger nails Mon Feb 20 15:37:02 +0000 2012

Judge: the match probability of DNA matching Whant's found in semen in #nikitta's body having come from someone else was one in one billion Mon Feb 20 15:35:38 +0000 2012

Judge: fabric remnants with #nikitta's DNA on them were found around her head Mon Feb 20 15:33:26 +0000 2012

Judge: blood matching #nikitta's DNA profile found underneath the car mat in Whant's car were deposited when wet, scientists said Mon Feb 20 15:32:42 +0000 2012

Judge: forensic scientists took samples from the car and #nikitta's flat Mon Feb 20 15:26:49 +0000 2012

Judge: Whant told police who collected his shirt it had been washed #nikitta Mon Feb 20 15:25:28 +0000 2012

Judge: the yard where it was taken was secure and kept locked. It remained in there until it went to forensic lab for examination #nikitta Mon Feb 20 15:24:06 +0000 2012

Judge: on Feb 7 police took the clothes Whant was wearing in Feb 4. Whant was cooperative, a driver later came to take his car #nikitta Mon Feb 20 15:22:39 +0000 2012

#nikitta trial resumes. Judge continues summing up Mon Feb 20 15:19:28 +0000 2012

#nikitta trial rising for a short break Mon Feb 20 15:05:43 +0000 2012

Judge: car expert who looked at CCTV noticed a bulb on the number plate of Whant's car was dim #nikitta Mon Feb 20 15:05:29 +0000 2012

Judge: no knife linked to the killing has ever been found. #nikitta's phone and keys are also still missing Mon Feb 20 15:01:52 +0000 2012

Judge: pathologist later found a stab injury to her belly which injured also the baby #nikitta Mon Feb 20 15:01:15 +0000 2012

Judge: pathologist didn't see the stab injuries at first. The wound in #nikitta's neck was 10cm deep. She was dead before fire was started Mon Feb 20 15:00:15 +0000 2012

Judge: pathologist was called to #nikitta's flat on Feb 5. Her body was on the bed. Her face was covered by the remains of fabric Mon Feb 20 14:58:47 +0000 2012

Judge: #nikitta went out with friend Jenna Allman driving around on evening of Feb 4. She dropped he home at 1am Mon Feb 20 14:57:53 +0000 2012

Judge: #nikitta did not like Whant which her mother confirmed Mon Feb 20 14:56:52 +0000 2012

Judge: Ryan Mayes had lost his flat keys and #nikitta would let him in. #nikitta was responsible for washing clothes. Mon Feb 20 14:56:26 +0000 2012

Judge: she was two weeks away from giving birth on Feb 5 #nikitta Mon Feb 20 14:55:13 +0000 2012

Judge: #nikitta was just 19 years old when she died. She had on/off relationship with Ryan Mayes and was excited about pregnancy Mon Feb 20 14:54:43 +0000 2012

Judge: I will remind you now of the evidence #nikitta Mon Feb 20 14:53:40 +0000 2012

Judge: you are the judges of fact and it is your view alone that matters #nikitta Mon Feb 20 14:53:10 +0000 2012

Judge: you will decide if these are reasons enough for his refusal to answer further questions after DNA evidence was revealed #nikitta Mon Feb 20 14:52:28 +0000 2012

Judge: Whant said in interview he was worried about his family, he had not smoked since his arrest and he had difficulty sleeping #nikitta Mon Feb 20 14:51:24 +0000 2012

Judge: Whant said for the first time in December he had sex with #nikitta on Feb 4. Pros say if this was true he would have said it earlier Mon Feb 20 14:48:15 +0000 2012

Judge: I direct you not to make any adverse inference on the decision of Whant to answer no comment in first interviews #nikitta Mon Feb 20 14:46:56 +0000 2012

Judge: any verdict must be based upon all the evidence #nikitta Mon Feb 20 14:45:53 +0000 2012

Judge: when you consider and expert's evidence you must consider whether it is credible #nikitta Mon Feb 20 14:45:14 +0000 2012

Judge: if you conclude that DNA had been contaminated you must dismiss the expert's evidence about it #nikitta Mon Feb 20 14:40:15 +0000 2012

Judge: you have heard from expert witnesses who give you information on behalf of the court not the pros or def who call them #nikitta Mon Feb 20 14:39:09 +0000 2012

Judge: defence says Whant shouldn't be criticised for no comment answers in police interviews when he had already given an account #nikitta Mon Feb 20 14:36:33 +0000 2012

Judge: defence say the CCTV evidence cannot be relied upon as you can't be sure it is Whant's car #nikitta Mon Feb 20 14:34:13 +0000 2012

Judge: the defence say that if the fire was started at 4.30am, as suggested by fire expert, Whant was in Corelli Street #nikitta Mon Feb 20 14:33:21 +0000 2012

Judge: the defence say the timings of the incident and CCTV of Whant's car do not give him enough time to commit the offences #nikitta Mon Feb 20 14:32:00 +0000 2012

Judge: the defence submit that Ryan Mayes is not a credible witness #nikitta Mon Feb 20 14:31:00 +0000 2012

Judge: the defence submit that on all the evidence you cannot be sure that Whant is responsible for #nikitta's death Mon Feb 20 14:30:38 +0000 2012

Judge: the defence case is that an unwanted guest was in #nikitta's flat that night Mon Feb 20 14:30:00 +0000 2012

Judge: pros say Whant committed the crimes, proved by DNA matching #nikitta's found on his clothes and in his car Mon Feb 20 14:29:21 +0000 2012

Judge: there's support for evidence that Whant's car was parked in a different direction to earlier in evening #nikitta Mon Feb 20 14:27:19 +0000 2012

Judge: pros say this was enough time for him to commit the offences. They say his claims he had consensual sex with #nikitta are contrived Mon Feb 20 14:26:19 +0000 2012

Judge: Whant was away from Corelli Street when the fire alarm started and returned sometime around 6.30am #nikitta Mon Feb 20 14:25:12 +0000 2012

Judge: the pros say that in early hours of Feb 5 Whant drove to #nikitta's flat where he raped her, stabbed her and started a fire Mon Feb 20 14:23:59 +0000 2012

Judge: I am now going to sum up the case of both the prosecution and defence #nikitta Mon Feb 20 14:22:37 +0000 2012

Judge: the only issue for you to decide on the arson charge is whether it was Whant was who started the fire #nikitta Mon Feb 20 14:20:39 +0000 2012

Judge: there is no doubt that #nikitta's baby could have been born alive. You must decide if the intent was to kill the unborn child Mon Feb 20 14:19:09 +0000 2012

Judge: Whant's account is that he had taken cocaine and drink. A drunken or drug induced intent is still intent #nikitta Mon Feb 20 14:18:03 +0000 2012

Judge: if you are not sure Whant stabbed #nikitta then you are to acquit him Mon Feb 20 14:16:20 +0000 2012

Judge: if you are sure Whant killed #nikitta that too might prove that she did not consent to sex Mon Feb 20 14:15:41 +0000 2012

Judge: Whant says he had consensual sex with #nikitta. Ryan Mayes says otherwise Mon Feb 20 14:14:48 +0000 2012

Judge: you must consider the four charges of rape, murder, arson and child destruction separately #nikitta Mon Feb 20 14:13:52 +0000 2012

Judge: Whant says he is not responsible. He does not have to prove that. The prosecution must prove he is guilty #nikitta Mon Feb 20 14:10:45 +0000 2012

Judge: you have heard from the witnesses and you will decide who to believe #nikitta Mon Feb 20 14:09:31 +0000 2012

Judge: you must make your decision on the evidence. You must not speculate or look for other evidence #nikitta Mon Feb 20 14:08:38 +0000 2012

Judge: #nikitta's death attracted a lot of media attention you must put that out of your mind Mon Feb 20 14:07:56 +0000 2012

Judge: #nikitta was a pretty young woman who was looking forward to the birth of her child. Her death shocked many people Mon Feb 20 14:07:21 +0000 2012

Jury have been handed legal directions from the judge which they must follow when reaching their decision #nikitta Mon Feb 20 14:06:26 +0000 2012

#nikitta trial resumes. Judge Mr Justice John Griffith Williams is to start summing up Mon Feb 20 14:05:22 +0000 2012

#nikitta trial is rising for lunch. Judge Mr Justice John Griffith Williams will begin summing up at 2pm Mon Feb 20 12:36:58 +0000 2012

Kinch: can you be sure Whant is responsible? There is no shame in not being sure #nikitta Mon Feb 20 12:35:41 +0000 2012

Kinch: neighbour Sarah Voisey smelt cannabis and another male's DNA was found under #nikitta's finger nails. Whose DNA and why is it there? Mon Feb 20 12:34:44 +0000 2012

Kinch: was there an uninvited guest at #nikitta's flat? Can you be sure the door was locked? The neighbour below heard footsteps at 9.30pm Mon Feb 20 12:33:28 +0000 2012

Kinch: fire investigator Mick Flanagan said the smouldering fire could have been set around 4.30am - 1 hour before alarm sounded #nikitta Mon Feb 20 12:31:25 +0000 2012

Kinch: no matter what the DNA evidence is telling you, you can't be in two places at once #nikitta Mon Feb 20 12:27:39 +0000 2012

Kinch: as far as we know Whant was in his car at 5.15am when G6 was playing #nikitta Mon Feb 20 12:27:09 +0000 2012

Kinch: if Whant did this, he's got to get there, rape #nikitta, stab her, keep blood off his clothes and set the fire all before 5.30am Mon Feb 20 12:26:39 +0000 2012

Mr Kinch is showing the jury a map of the route police say Whant took to get to Broadmead Park on Feb 5 #nikitta Mon Feb 20 12:24:22 +0000 2012

Kinch: these flaws are symptomatic of a case where the police thought we've got DNA evidence and got our man #nikitta Mon Feb 20 12:19:09 +0000 2012

Kinch: these aren't isolated faults. Not only has there been a failure but it deprives the defence of footage #nikitta Mon Feb 20 12:17:45 +0000 2012

Kinch: police didn't seize footage from Queens Hill garage. This would have shown Whant's car passing to go to his nan's house #nikitta Mon Feb 20 12:13:47 +0000 2012

Kinch: police should have moved faster to obtain CCTV #nikitta Mon Feb 20 12:06:20 +0000 2012

Kinch: how could you go for 22 hours and not get to the key evidence against this man? It's nonsense #nikitta Mon Feb 20 12:03:15 +0000 2012

Kinch: hours and hours of interviews & then police say that they hadn't put all the evidence to him. We ask whose fault was that? #nikitta Mon Feb 20 12:02:37 +0000 2012

Kinch: when Whant was told about DNA evidence he said he felt unwell and told police he had already answered questions #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:59:32 +0000 2012

Kinch: Whant, a smoker, wasn't allowed to smoke and couldn't sleep because the light in his cell was left on #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:57:51 +0000 2012

Kinch: Whant had already told police in his statement #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:55:34 +0000 2012

Kinch: the strategy obviously wasn't working because Whant initially gave no comment #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:55:01 +0000 2012

Kinch: what was the point of police asking Whant again when they already had a detailed account of his movements? #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:54:19 +0000 2012

Kinch: police strategy was to get a detailed account of what Whant had been doing on Feb 4/5 #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:50:12 +0000 2012

Kinch: he gave a considerable amount of information to police in the days after #nikitta died Mon Feb 20 11:48:52 +0000 2012

Kinch: Whant gave his clothing willingly the police #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:47:54 +0000 2012

Kinch: criticisms have been made about the way Whant behaved in police interviews #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:44:40 +0000 2012

Kinch: why isn't it there? And why are there traces of some other male's DNA under her finger nails? #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:43:57 +0000 2012

Kinch: there was no trace of Whant's DNA under her finger nails #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:42:44 +0000 2012

Kinch: the marks would only matter if they were made by #nikitta when she was fighting for her life Mon Feb 20 11:41:45 +0000 2012

Kinch: there are signs here that every piece of evidence is being thrown at this man (Whant) in the hope that something will stick #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:41:04 +0000 2012

Kinch: Rachel only noticed them when she and Whant were in bed together #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:36:26 +0000 2012

Kinch: are those injuries really worth a mention? Does Whant have to be aware of them? Would he have commented on them? #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:35:57 +0000 2012

Kinch: the scuffle didn't make if into the incident book because it wasn't an "incident" #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:35:02 +0000 2012

Kinch: the prosecution have blown Whant's explanation of the injuries out of proportion and made a bigger issue of it #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:33:46 +0000 2012

Kinch: prosecution say there was no time that Whant could have got injuries on his arms #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:32:40 +0000 2012

Kinch: Whant didn't tell police he had sex with #nikitta. Not wanting to explain he had betrayed his girlfriend? Or just telling the truth? Mon Feb 20 11:30:31 +0000 2012

Kinch: we say Whant is more likely to be telling the truth #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:28:22 +0000 2012

Kinch: what does it tell you about someone who is willing lie to protect his reputation in the middle of a murder inquiry? #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:27:38 +0000 2012

Kinch: his partner has been killed the police are wanting answers and he himself was arrested #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:26:25 +0000 2012

Kinch: he tried to suggest that there was nothing in it at all. But we know that it wasn't for a want of trying #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:25:44 +0000 2012

Kinch: Ryan Mayes pursued Liz Taylor, flirted with her and invited her up to a bedroom in Corelli Street for privacy #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:24:13 +0000 2012

Kinch: you've heard that Ryan Mayes had other girlfriends and on/off relationships. It may be that he sees women as commodities #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:23:16 +0000 2012

Kinch: Whant's explanation for contact with #nikitta is that he had sex with her the previous afternoon Mon Feb 20 11:20:41 +0000 2012

Kinch: this does not fit with a violent stabbing #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:19:08 +0000 2012

Kinch: there were very few stains on his shirt and he wore it the next day. There was no sense of urgency or panic to clean them #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:18:51 +0000 2012

Kinch: how is it that Whant stabs #nikitta and yet has very little blood on his clothes? Mon Feb 20 11:17:43 +0000 2012

Kinch: if Whant was in contact with something #nikitta had touched, or they had sex, the transfer of her blood to him increased enormously Mon Feb 20 11:16:48 +0000 2012

Kinch: we say it's unlikely that the blood had been there long. Ryan Mayes didn't know about any injury and #nikitta did washing regularly Mon Feb 20 11:15:06 +0000 2012

Kinch: we say that at some point that towel is likely to have been used to mop up a small injury #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:13:32 +0000 2012

Kinch: Whant says that is not the case. We suggest #nikitta was injured before- a towel in her bathroom had blood matching her DNA on it Mon Feb 20 11:12:47 +0000 2012

Kinch: the prosecution suggest that the blood on Whant's shirt must have come from the time #nikitta was killed Mon Feb 20 11:11:09 +0000 2012

Kinch: there's no evidence to suggest that #nikitta was injured before she was killed Mon Feb 20 11:10:23 +0000 2012

Kinch: however powerful the evidence of the blood on the car mat might appear, you cannot decide on that evidence alone #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:09:31 +0000 2012

Kinch: it doesn't prove Whant is a murderer. It only suggests one explanation #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:07:26 +0000 2012

Kinch: that finding of blood cannot tell you that Whant put a knife wet with blood there #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:06:21 +0000 2012

Kinch: we don't know what happened to it. Was it put back in the car? Placed aside? #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:04:18 +0000 2012

Kinch: it wasn't. It was only later that it was examined #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:03:26 +0000 2012

Kinch: if the car mat was looked at at the time and it had blood on it, surely it should have been taken away #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:02:42 +0000 2012

Kinch: is there some muddle or confusion about the appearance, layout and recovery of that evidence? #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:01:40 +0000 2012

Court hears the car was looked at by a number of people #nikitta Mon Feb 20 11:00:42 +0000 2012

Kinch: There are some points on the way to the discovery of DNA evidence in Whant's car that we ask you to consider with care #nikitta Mon Feb 20 10:59:40 +0000 2012

#nikitta trial has resumed. Defence counsel Christopher Kinch QC will continue his closing statement Mon Feb 20 10:57:30 +0000 2012

There's a bit of a delay here at the #nikitta trial. Should be starting soon Mon Feb 20 10:38:39 +0000 2012

Back at Newport Crown Court today with @ArgusAChalk for the #nikitta trial. Follow me for live coverage from 10.30am Mon Feb 20 09:56:28 +0000 2012