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Father 'in row' before fatal fire | |
(10 minutes later) | |
A father killed his young son and two teenage stepchildren in a house fire after he accused his wife of flirting with a taxi driver, a court heard. | A father killed his young son and two teenage stepchildren in a house fire after he accused his wife of flirting with a taxi driver, a court heard. |
Manchester Crown Court was told Kevin Hargreaves, 37, flew into a rage at the children's mother when they returned home and tried to set himself alight. | Manchester Crown Court was told Kevin Hargreaves, 37, flew into a rage at the children's mother when they returned home and tried to set himself alight. |
The fire spread from the bedroom and engulfed the property in Herne Street in Beswick, Manchester, last July. | The fire spread from the bedroom and engulfed the property in Herne Street in Beswick, Manchester, last July. |
Mr Hargreaves denies three counts of murder. | Mr Hargreaves denies three counts of murder. |
The dead children's mother, Susan Owen, managed to escape the fire. | |
'Bad mood' | |
John Hargreaves, eight, and his stepbrother Jordan Swift, 14, died after they became trapped in a third-floor bedroom while Jordan's 19-year-old sister, Carly, also died after she dashed back into the house in the hope of saving the boys. | |
Seven other children staying at the house survived the fire. | |
The court heard Mr Hargreaves walked down the stairs of the property and was later spotted leaning on the garden gate as the fire raged. | |
Richard Marks QC, prosecuting, said Mr Hargreaves had returned to Ms Owen's home a few hours before the incident in a "very bad mood" following a taxi ride home after a night out. | |
He said the trouble between them seemed to have started during the course of the taxi drive where Ms Owen bought a kebab for the taxi driver. | |
"The defendant took exception to this and later accused Susan Owen of trying to 'cop off' with the taxi driver," Mr Marks said. |