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| Carl Mills trial: Father denies starting Cwmbran fire | Carl Mills trial: Father denies starting Cwmbran fire |
| (1 day 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". | 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 at their home in Cwmbran, Torfaen. | He denies killing Kayleigh, 17, her mother Kim Buckley and baby Kimberley at their home in Cwmbran, Torfaen. |
| He said he was shocked to see the fire. | He said he was shocked to see the fire. |
| Patrick Harrington QC, defending, asked him: "Did you have anything to do with the fire?" | Patrick Harrington QC, defending, asked him: "Did you have anything to do with the fire?" |
| "No," Mr Mills replied. | "No," Mr Mills replied. |
| Mr Harrington continued: "Did you threaten to burn down the house?" | Mr Harrington continued: "Did you threaten to burn down the house?" |
| He replied: "Yeah, but it was empty threats really." | 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. | 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. | It had been started in the porch of the house and spread to the staircase, trapping them. |
| The fire had been started just hours after baby Kimberley, whose twin sister Angel had been still born, had been discharged from hospital following her premature birth. | The fire had been started just hours after baby Kimberley, whose twin sister Angel had been still born, had been discharged from hospital following her premature birth. |
| The court was told on Friday afternoon that Mr Mills sent a text to Kayleigh on 28 August 2011, the day before Kimberley was originally due to come home. | The court was told on Friday afternoon that Mr Mills sent a text to Kayleigh on 28 August 2011, the day before Kimberley was originally due to come home. |
| He texted that it was "funny" he could not see "her" and said he hoped "she" died. | He texted that it was "funny" he could not see "her" and said he hoped "she" died. |
| Under cross-examination, Gregory Bull QC suggested the "she" in the text message was Kimberley but Mr Mills said he could not remember. | Under cross-examination, Gregory Bull QC suggested the "she" in the text message was Kimberley but Mr Mills said he could not remember. |
| Mr Bull said: "That's not just drunkenness, that's just plain evil. " | Mr Bull said: "That's not just drunkenness, that's just plain evil. " |
| Mr Mills said: "It's just drink talk." | Mr Mills said: "It's just drink talk." |
| A few minutes after the first text, the jury was told Mr Mills sent another message which said "your house is going to go up in flames and I will be home when it does". | A few minutes after the first text, the jury was told Mr Mills sent another message which said "your house is going to go up in flames and I will be home when it does". |
| Mr Mills told the jury sending a text of that nature was "just me". | Mr Mills told the jury sending a text of that nature was "just me". |
| He then sent another text: "I will murder you lot." | He then sent another text: "I will murder you lot." |
| 'Barrage of abuse' | 'Barrage of abuse' |
| The texts continued into the morning of the following day and at 07:17 he texted: "I will kill you" and at 07:19 he wrote: "I will kill your daughter." | The texts continued into the morning of the following day and at 07:17 he texted: "I will kill you" and at 07:19 he wrote: "I will kill your daughter." |
| Mr Bull told the court Mr Mills sent an "unrelenting barrage of abuse" over a 27-hour period. | Mr Bull told the court Mr Mills sent an "unrelenting barrage of abuse" over a 27-hour period. |
| In further texts he said he would "petrol bomb" the house. | In further texts he said he would "petrol bomb" the house. |
| Earlier, the court was told alcoholic Mr Mills was drinking on wasteland known as "the brick" near the back of the house in Coed Eva at the time of the fire. | Earlier, the court was told alcoholic Mr Mills was 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 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. |
| "I kind of jogged a bit. But then stopped - my legs were aching," Mr Mills replied. | "I kind of jogged a bit. But then stopped - my legs were aching," Mr Mills replied. |
| 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." |
| He was then taken for questioning by a police officer. | He was then taken for questioning by a police officer. |
| Friend on Facebook | Friend on Facebook |
| Later, Mr Mills told the court he loved Kayleigh. | Later, 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. | 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. | He told the jury he knew her age and they did not start a sexual relationship until she was 16. |
| The jury has previously heard how Mr Mills had become increasingly resentful of the attention Kayleigh had been giving to their daughter. | The jury has previously heard how Mr Mills had become increasingly resentful of the attention Kayleigh had been giving to their daughter. |
| Following Mr Mills' evidence to the defence barrister, the prosecution began its cross-examination. | Following Mr Mills' evidence to the defence barrister, the prosecution began its cross-examination. |
| Mr Bull asked him: "Do you regret starting the fire that killed her?" | Mr Bull asked him: "Do you regret starting the fire that killed her?" |
| "I didn't do it," Mr Mills replied. | "I didn't do it," Mr Mills replied. |
| The jury was also told Mr Mills had a string of previous convictions from the age of 17. | The jury was also told Mr Mills had a string of previous convictions from the age of 17. |
| They included criminal damage, threatening behaviour, stealing a car, breaching community rehabilitation orders, and racial abuse. | They included criminal damage, threatening behaviour, stealing a car, breaching community rehabilitation orders, and racial abuse. |
| Up until 4 September, Kayleigh and Mr Mills were sleeping rough, the court heard. | Up until 4 September, Kayleigh and Mr Mills were sleeping rough, the court heard. |
| But Mr Bull said: "By the 4th September the penny was beginning to drop in her mind. She was beginning to put the baby first." | But Mr Bull said: "By the 4th September the penny was beginning to drop in her mind. She was beginning to put the baby first." |
| The jury was also told that Mr Mills saw the baby only "a couple of times" after her birth but not in the last few months of her life. | The jury was also told that Mr Mills saw the baby only "a couple of times" after her birth but not in the last few months of her life. |
| The trial continues on Monday. | The trial continues on Monday. |