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Carl Mills trial: Father denies starting Cwmbran fire | Carl Mills trial: Father denies starting Cwmbran fire |
(35 minutes later) | |
A father accused of murdering three generations of a family, including his girlfriend and disabled baby, by starting a fire at their home said earlier threats he made were "empty". | |
Carl Mills, 28, told Newport Crown Court he and Kayleigh Buckley, planned a new life together once their six-month-old baby came home from hospital. | |
He denies killing Kayleigh, 17, her mother Kim Buckley and baby Kimberley in a blaze at their home in Cwmbran. | |
He said he was shocked to see the fire. | |
Patrick Harrington QC, defending, asked him: "Did you have anything to do with the fire?" | |
"No," Mr Mills replied. | |
Mr Harrington continued: "Did you threaten to burn down the house?" | |
He replied: "Yeah, but it was empty threats really." | |
The jury has previously heard how neighbours living on the estate had tried to save the family from the fire in the early hours of 18 September. | |
It had been started in the porch of the house and spread to the staircase, trapping them. | |
Neighbours used ladders to try and help but were not able to reach them. | |
The fire had been started just hours after baby Kimberley had been discharged from hospital following her premature birth. | |
She was deaf and blind and was suffering serious lung problems requiring oxygen, which was stored at the house. | |
Her twin sister, Angel, was stillborn. | |
The court was told Mr Mills was sat drinking on wasteland known as "the brick" near the back of the house in Coed Eva at the time of the fire. | The court was told Mr Mills was sat drinking on wasteland known as "the brick" near the back of the house in Coed Eva at the time of the fire. |
Giving evidence, he told the court: "I sat down for a couple of minutes but then I heard screaming getting louder and shouting getting louder." | Giving evidence, he told the court: "I sat down for a couple of minutes but then I heard screaming getting louder and shouting getting louder." |
Mr Harrington asked him if he knew it was his girlfriend's house that was on fire. | |
Mr Mills replied: "Yeah. I didn't know what was going on." | Mr Mills replied: "Yeah. I didn't know what was going on." |
Mr Harrington asked if he had run towards the fire. | Mr Harrington asked if he had run towards the fire. |
Mr Mills said: "I kind of jogged a bit. But then stopped - my legs were aching." | Mr Mills said: "I kind of jogged a bit. But then stopped - my legs were aching." |
He told the court he had proceeded down a path towards the burning house and saw neighbours standing outside before asking them what was going on | He told the court he had proceeded down a path towards the burning house and saw neighbours standing outside before asking them what was going on |
Mr Mills said he was "shocked really" to see the house on fire. | Mr Mills said he was "shocked really" to see the house on fire. |
He said he saw fire crews outside and told them which rooms the three members of the family were in. | He said he saw fire crews outside and told them which rooms the three members of the family were in. |
He then went to the back of the house, he told the court. | He then went to the back of the house, he told the court. |
"(I was) in the back garden to see if I could get in the back door. It was locked," he said. | "(I was) in the back garden to see if I could get in the back door. It was locked," he said. |
"I were trying to look for something in the garden to smash it." | "I were trying to look for something in the garden to smash it." |
'Horrible' texts | |
He was then taken for questioning by a police officer. | He was then taken for questioning by a police officer. |
The jury was told Mr Mills "made a fuss" and had to be moved from the police car into a caged police van. | The jury was told Mr Mills "made a fuss" and had to be moved from the police car into a caged police van. |
Mr Mills told the court he had black hands from collecting tobacco from discarded cigarette ends from the streets. | Mr Mills told the court he had black hands from collecting tobacco from discarded cigarette ends from the streets. |
In the hours before the fatal fire, Mr Mills admitted to sending "revolting" and "horrible" texts to his girlfriend, who had brought home Kimberley from hospital the previous evening. | |
Mr Mills said while Kimberley was spending her first night at home, he was walking the streets and drinking three litres of White Storm cider. | Mr Mills said while Kimberley was spending her first night at home, he was walking the streets and drinking three litres of White Storm cider. |
Alcoholic Mr Mills said he had drunk the entire bottle within half an hour. | Alcoholic Mr Mills said he had drunk the entire bottle within half an hour. |
Mr Harrington asked him about the texts he had sent to Miss Buckley in the hours before he fire. | Mr Harrington asked him about the texts he had sent to Miss Buckley in the hours before he fire. |
"Were they friendly or hostile?" Mr Harrington asked. | "Were they friendly or hostile?" Mr Harrington asked. |
Mr Mills replied: "Both, I think. There were some friendly bits and some hostile bits." | Mr Mills replied: "Both, I think. There were some friendly bits and some hostile bits." |
He said both he and his girlfriend had sent unpleasant texts that night. | He said both he and his girlfriend had sent unpleasant texts that night. |
The pair met up for a cigarette at about 20:15 for "about three minutes". | The pair met up for a cigarette at about 20:15 for "about three minutes". |
'Nasty' | 'Nasty' |
Mr Harrington asked Mr Mills if Miss Buckley was annoyed at it him. | Mr Harrington asked Mr Mills if Miss Buckley was annoyed at it him. |
"Yeah. Because of my drinking," he said. | "Yeah. Because of my drinking," he said. |
Mr Mills had promised his girlfriend he would not drink, the jury heard. | Mr Mills had promised his girlfriend he would not drink, the jury heard. |
That was the last time he saw her. | That was the last time he saw her. |
Mr Mills admitted the tone of the subsequent texts was "nasty". | Mr Mills admitted the tone of the subsequent texts was "nasty". |
He said: "I was drinking not thinking. But I regretted it afterwards." | He said: "I was drinking not thinking. But I regretted it afterwards." |
Mr Mills told the court he loved Kayleigh. | |
The pair had got together when she requested him as a friend on Facebook in August 2010. She was 15 and Mr Mills was 25. | |
He told the jury he knew her age and they did not start a sexual relationship until she was 16. | |
Mr Harrington said: "It's been suggested by the prosecution that you were grooming her - were you?" | |
"No," Mr Mills replied. | |
The jury has previously been told how Mr Mills, who was living in a tent in the garden of his girlfriend's home, had become increasingly resentful of the attention Kayleigh had been giving to their daughter. | |
Although he was allowed to see Kimberley, he was not allowed to care for her due to his alcohol issues and his refusal to accept professional help. | Although he was allowed to see Kimberley, he was not allowed to care for her due to his alcohol issues and his refusal to accept professional help. |
The trial continues. | The trial continues. |