Murdered Nikitta Grender's Newport home to be demolished
Work to demolish the Newport flat where a pregnant woman was raped and murdered is due to start on Monday.
Nikitta Grender, 19, was killed at her home in Broadmead Park, Lliswerry, in February 2011, two weeks before she was due to give birth.
Her unborn baby, who she had named Kelsey-May, also died in the attack and the home was set alight.
Carl Whant 29, of Bettws, Newport, was jailed for a minimum of 35 years for the killing in 2012.
Housing association Newport City Homes, which owns the one-bedroom flat, applied for permission to knock it down in 2014 after calls from her family and the father of her unborn child.
Miss Grender's father Paul Brunnock said his family had been waiting a long time for the demolition.
"It's been four years and we're happy it's finally being taken down," he said.
"It's what we wanted. We live about a five minute walk away and go past it every day. It's been a constant reminder."
The demolition is expected to take a few weeks and much of the work will be carried out by hand.
The first floor flat, which has been empty since Miss Grender was killed, will be torn down along with the property below.
Mr Brunnock said he and his family were "still the same" after the murder, adding: "We always will be.
"It's really quiet here now without Nikitta."
Lliswerry councillor Allan Morris said: "I hope that the family can now have some closure on this terrible incident."