The jury in the trial of a man accused of murdering a mother and two children in a flat fire has retired to consider its verdict.
Jamie Barrow has already admitted the manslaughter of Fatoumatta Hydara, Naeemah Drammeh and Fatimah Drammeh after setting fire to their flat in Fairisle Close, Clifton, Nottingham, last year.
He has been on trial for murder at the city’s Crown Court since June 12 and has apologised to the victims’ family, saying he never intended to hurt anyone by starting the blaze and thought the flat was empty.
Prosecutors allege that Barrow, 31, deliberately set the fire on November 20 because he was unhappy about bags of rubbish being left in an alleyway behind their building.
Previously in the trial, prosecutor Simon Ash KC said: “He poured petrol through their letterbox and he set it alight.
“The defendant knew that the front door was the only way in and out of the flat.
You must reach a verdict upon which you are all agreed— Mrs Justice Amanda Tipples to jurors
“He knew that there would be no way for them to escape.”
He added: “Shortly after, Mrs Hydara or one of the children started screaming.
“The defendant did nothing to help them.
“He didn’t call the fire service or alert anyone to what was happening.
“About five minutes later, he walked casually away, leaving Mrs Hydara and Fatimah and Naeemah trapped in the burning flat.
“All three of them died as a result of the fire.”
As you may know, the law allows me to accept a verdict that is not the verdict of you all. Those circumstances have not yet arisen and I ask you to put that out of your mind— Mrs Justice Amanda Tipples to jurors
Barrow denies three counts of murder and a charge of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered.
During his evidence, he said he found setting fires relieved stress and had formed the opinion the neighbouring flat was empty after not hearing or seeing his victims in the days before the blaze.
After concluding her summary on Monday, Mrs Justice Amanda Tipples told the jury of seven men and four women: “You must reach a verdict upon which you are all agreed.
“As you may know, the law allows me to accept a verdict that is not the verdict of you all.
“Those circumstances have not yet arisen and I ask you to put that out of your mind.”
