MICHAEL Baldwin (pictured) drove the lifeless body of his stepdaughter, Jenna Brookfield, to nearby woods and buried her in an 18-inch shallow grave, a murder trial jury heard.

At the opening of his trial at Cardiff crown court yesterday jurors were told he covered her body with earth, leaves and big stones, then returned home to his family.

Prosecutor David Aubrey, QC, alleges the 36-year-old, of Limekiln Road, Abersychan, wove a web of deceit to explain her disappearance.

"He went about his apparently normal everyday working and family life, sharing the home with his wife and their two children."

Baldwin even took part in media appeals for his stepdaughter to get in touch.

"In some of them the defendant emotionally begged Jenna to come back, when he knew all the while she was dead," Mr Aubrey said. "As far as the defendant was concerned it was all a sham."

He finally led police to the lonely spot where he hid Jenna's body after her heartbroken mother, Desiree, begged him to reveal the location.

The court was told Baldwin confessed to detectives that the 15-year-old died after falling downstairs as they argued. He then agreed to take officers to her grave.

Baldwin denies murdering the schoolgirl between September 3 and 11 last year.

Proceeding.