MICHAEL Baldwin repeatedly lied and deceived the family he claimed to love to cover his own back, murder trial jurors were told yesterday.

The 36-year-old, of Limekiln Road, Pontynewynydd, duped wife Desiree and let her believe daughter Jenna was still alive, Prosecutor David Aubrey QC told Cardiff crown court.

Baldwin - who denies murdering Jenna some time between September 3 and 11 - was also accused of exploiting his son, by making a series of calls, pretending to be the boy's 15-year-old half-sister.

During cross-examination by Mr Aubrey, jurors were told that in a text to his wife Baldwin, pretending to be Jenna, wrote: "Tell the police to leave me alone."

Mr Aubrey claimed Baldwin was asking for the search to be called off, making life easier for him.

But Baldwin said he was thinking of his wife.

Mr Aubrey said: "Is that a serious answer Mr Baldwin? That the police calling the search off would make Des feel better? It would not help you out?"

"No," he replied.

Earlier Mr Aubrey asked: "Did you love Jenna, Mr Baldwin?"

"Yes and no," he replied.

Asked to explain his reply, Baldwin said: "Depending on what mood she was in. "We all got on great most of the time but on occasions we didn't.

"Jenna would do anything for the kids - but it depended on what mood she was in."

Mr Aubrey later asked: "You would not have wanted any harm to come to her, would you?"

"No," Baldwin said.

Mr Aubrey said: "You would not want her to be treated with indignity, would you?" "No," Baldwin said.

Mr Aubrey asked Baldwin what he did after laying Jenna in the "shallow trench" he dug for her body.

"As she lay there in her grave did you display any tenderness?" he asked. Baldwin replied that he broke down.

"You were crying?" Mr Aubrey said. "Who were crying for, Mr Baldwin?" "For everybody," he said.

"No, you were crying for yourself," Mr Aubrey told him. "Your only concern was to conceal the body of the girl you killed. That's right, isn't it?"

Mr Aubrey went on: "Did you say goodbye to her?"

"No," Baldwin said.

"Did you say sorry to Jenna?" Mr Aubrey said. "Yes," Baldwin replied.

"You did, did you?"Mr Aubrey said. Baldwin replied: "Yes, I was there you weren't. You don't know what I said."

Mr Aubrey asked Baldwin how he could do "such an appalling thing" to Jenna. "It was an accident," Baldwin said.

Mr Aubrey replied: "It was not an accident when you buried her. Mr Baldwin - how could you do that to your own daughter?"

"Because I was scared, I was panicking," Baldwin said. "I was scared Des would not believe me and Des would not believe me.

"I was scared of messing everything up with the kids, the house."

Later Mr Aubrey challenged Baldwin, saying, "You could have told the truth." "You was not in my shoes," Baldwin replied.

"No Mr Baldwin," the prosecutor said. "I had not buried my daughter." Proceeding