Former nightclub bouncer Carl Whant has been found guilty of the rape and murder of heavily pregnant Newport teenager Nikitta Grender.

The 19-year-old was two weeks away from giving birth when a drugged-up Carl Whant went to her flat at around 5am on February 5 last year.

Whant raped the mother-to-be, who was the girlfriend of his closest friend and cousin Ryan Mayes, then slashed her throat and stabbed her in the abdomen.

Carl Whant, 27, then set fire to her home in Newport, south Wales, in an attempt to disguise his crimes.

The blaze also claimed the life of Miss Grender's pet dog, burning slowly for two hours before it was discovered by a frantic neighbour.

But “arrogant” and calculating killer Whant, who left Miss Grender's parents sickened with his claims that he had consensual sex with their daughter just hours before her death, was brought to justice today.

Despite throwing away the murder weapon, Whant, of Bettws, near Newport, was caught after DNA evidence was found at the scene and in his car.

The jury at Newport Crown Court rejected his claim that the reason he was driving near Miss Grender's flat was to “pick up fags” from his grandmother’s house.

Whant was found guilty of murder, rape, child destruction and arson.