THE devastated grandmother of murdered Jenna Brookfield told the Argus she will never get over her death.

Eighty-year-old Olive Brookfield spoke out after a Cardiff crown court jury convicted Jenna's stepfather, Michael Baldwin, of the schoolgirl's murder, on Tuesday.

Baldwin, 36, formerly of Limekiln Road, Pontnewynydd, murdered the 15-year-old and buried her in a shallow woodland grave last September.

He then deceived her family and police that Jenna had run away from home.

Mrs Brookfield said the first time she saw Baldwin in the flesh was in court, when he was jailed for life.

"When I went into court I couldn't look at him because I don't know what I would have done," she said.

"The jury came to the right decision and I feel relief in one way, but we are still absolutely devastated.

"I still haven't come to terms with Jenna's death. Some days I'm all right and others I'm waiting for her to walk in the door.

"This time last year, for the first week of the summer holidays, she was staying with me. Since then so many things have happened, so many things have been said and there's been so many lies.

"I didn't know him (Baldwin) at all. The first time I spoke to him was when Jenna went missing.

"Desiree rang me on September 12 to say Jenna was missing and that she would get back to me.

"I couldn't wait to find out so I phoned later and he answered the phone and told me all the rubbish about the red-haired girl he said she was with.

"I spoke to my son (Jenna's father, Nigel Brookfield) afterwards and he said he'd told him a different story.

"We both knew then he'd done something to her."

She has many happy memories of Jenna, her only granddaughter.

"Jenna was happy and she wasn't a noisy girl by any means," she said. "She would laugh and joke and loved children. She loved my little dog and used to take him for walks.

"I just can't contemplate what my son must feel. We are just going to have to take it one step at a time. It's too much to take in all at once.

"I thought I'd gone past all the bad things. You've heard and seen a lot when you get to my age. I never ever dreamed anything like this would happen."

Mrs Brookfield, of Waunddu, in Pontnewynydd, said the family would always remember Jenna.

"We will never ever forget her," she said. "We are just going to try to start rebuilding things.

"She was just a normal kid - she hadn't done anything bad. She was a very bright girl and now it's all been taken away from her."