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Neighbour Sarah Voisey 'tried to wake' Nikitta Grender | Neighbour Sarah Voisey 'tried to wake' Nikitta Grender |
(about 4 hours later) | |
The neighbour of a pregnant teenager stabbed to death before her flat was set on fire "frantically" tried to awaken her, a murder trial has heard. | The neighbour of a pregnant teenager stabbed to death before her flat was set on fire "frantically" tried to awaken her, a murder trial has heard. |
Nikitta Grender, 19, died last February two weeks before she was due to give birth to a baby girl. | Nikitta Grender, 19, died last February two weeks before she was due to give birth to a baby girl. |
Sarah Voisey told Newport Crown Court she knocked on Ms Grender's flat door for 10 minutes after realising there was a fire inside. | Sarah Voisey told Newport Crown Court she knocked on Ms Grender's flat door for 10 minutes after realising there was a fire inside. |
Carl Whant, 27, denies murder, rape, arson and child destruction. | Carl Whant, 27, denies murder, rape, arson and child destruction. |
Ms Grender's body was found by firefighters in the flat at Broadmead Park, Lliswerry, at around 08:00 GMT on 5 February 2011, the court heard. | Ms Grender's body was found by firefighters in the flat at Broadmead Park, Lliswerry, at around 08:00 GMT on 5 February 2011, the court heard. |
A post-mortem examination later revealed she had been stabbed twice, once in the neck and once in the stomach, before her flat was set on fire. | A post-mortem examination later revealed she had been stabbed twice, once in the neck and once in the stomach, before her flat was set on fire. |
Ms Voisey, who lived in the flat below Ms Grender and her partner, Ryan Mayes, told the court she had hardly slept that night because her then five-month-old daughter had been teething. | Ms Voisey, who lived in the flat below Ms Grender and her partner, Ryan Mayes, told the court she had hardly slept that night because her then five-month-old daughter had been teething. |
Beeping noise | Beeping noise |
Giving evidence via a video link, she told the jury she had been awoken by a constant, but faint, beeping sound at around 05:30 GMT. | Giving evidence via a video link, she told the jury she had been awoken by a constant, but faint, beeping sound at around 05:30 GMT. |
At first, she said, she thought the sound had come from her own flat, but after searching and finding nothing she returned to bed. | At first, she said, she thought the sound had come from her own flat, but after searching and finding nothing she returned to bed. |
Around an hour later she awoke again to make her daughter a bottle, and realised the beeping noise was coming from the flat above. | Around an hour later she awoke again to make her daughter a bottle, and realised the beeping noise was coming from the flat above. |
However she assumed her neighbours "would deal with it". | However she assumed her neighbours "would deal with it". |
It was only when her own smoke alarm started to sound at 07:50 that she realised Ms Grender's flat was on fire. | It was only when her own smoke alarm started to sound at 07:50 that she realised Ms Grender's flat was on fire. |
"My flat was getting really hot and stuffy and I kept hearing this beeping sound," said Ms Voisey. | "My flat was getting really hot and stuffy and I kept hearing this beeping sound," said Ms Voisey. |
"I phoned the fire brigade who told me to leave and try to knock my neighbours' door. | "I phoned the fire brigade who told me to leave and try to knock my neighbours' door. |
"When I got outside I could see smoke coming out of the window [from the flat above]. I began frantically knocking on the door, but got no answer. | "When I got outside I could see smoke coming out of the window [from the flat above]. I began frantically knocking on the door, but got no answer. |
"I kept banging the door for about 10 minutes - my knuckles were red and sore." | "I kept banging the door for about 10 minutes - my knuckles were red and sore." |
Ms Voisey said she thought she saw firefighters try the door handle before breaking the front door down. | Ms Voisey said she thought she saw firefighters try the door handle before breaking the front door down. |
Cross-examined by defending barrister Christopher Kinch, Ms Voisey said she did not go to sleep until 04:00 that night. | Cross-examined by defending barrister Christopher Kinch, Ms Voisey said she did not go to sleep until 04:00 that night. |
Fire alarm | Fire alarm |
The sound insulation was poor, she added, and the previous evening she had heard footsteps from above. | The sound insulation was poor, she added, and the previous evening she had heard footsteps from above. |
"I could not tell you whether those footsteps were male or female," she said. | "I could not tell you whether those footsteps were male or female," she said. |
When asked by Mr Kinch whether she had heard any noises apart from the fire alarm in the early hours of that morning, she replied "no". | When asked by Mr Kinch whether she had heard any noises apart from the fire alarm in the early hours of that morning, she replied "no". |
Michael Flanagan, head of South Wales fire service's fire investigations, was at the scene of the blaze within an hour. | |
He said he was convinced the fire had been started on Ms Grender's bed "and radiated out". | |
"For a fire such as this to have taken, in my view, would have taken a sustained flame [from a lighter]," he said. | |
The court had previously heard that Mr Whant, Mr Mayes's second cousin, left a party in Newport to rape and murder Ms Grender before dawn. | The court had previously heard that Mr Whant, Mr Mayes's second cousin, left a party in Newport to rape and murder Ms Grender before dawn. |
However Mr Whant, of Bettws, Newport, has claimed he had consensual sex with her hours before she died after being invited by Mr Mayes to join them in bed. | However Mr Whant, of Bettws, Newport, has claimed he had consensual sex with her hours before she died after being invited by Mr Mayes to join them in bed. |
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