THE boyfriend of Nikitta Grender faced the man accused of her murder - his cousin - at a magistrates' court yesterday.

Defendant Carl Whant, 26, of no fixed abode, spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth at the two-minute hearing at Caerphilly Magistrates Court where he stood accused of the murder of the teenage mum-to-be.

Miss Grender’s boyfriend, Ryan Mayes, 17, looked on in silence as Whant, who is his cousin, was led from the dock to be remanded in custody.

Wearing a blue hooded top and dark trousers, Whant shook his head as two charges relating to 19-year-old’s death and that of her unborn baby girl Kelsey-May were read out to a packed court room.

Whant is charged with murdering the eight-and-half months pregnant teenager on February 5.

He also faces a second charge of child destruction under the Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1929.

The court heard the charge relates to destroying the life of a child, in that by stabbing Miss Grender, the defendant is alleged to have caused the child to die before life existed externally from its mother.

District judge John Charles referred the matter to the crown court and Whant is due to appear for a preliminary hearing at Cardiff Crown Court this morning.

After the hearing, eight members of Miss Grender’s family, who did not sit in on the hearing, surrounded the prison van as it drove Whant away.

The group screamed and banged the side of the vehicle as it drove from the court flanked by two police cars.

Miss Grender was found with fatal stab wounds at her Broadmead Park home in the early hours of Saturday February 5, after firefighters were called to a blaze at her flat.

Whant was arrested on suspicion of her murder on Wednesday and was charged on the advice of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on Saturday night.

The case has attracted attention from media across the country and 13 reporters from local and national news rooms packed into the cramped court room.

Press photographers lingered outside the building eager to get a picture of the accused, while 15 police officers stood by.

A spokesman for the CPS said the rare charge of child destruction carried a maximum life sentence of 25 years. He added there had been no convictions in Wales in the past five years.