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Leicester fire deaths was 'revenge attack' on wrong house | Leicester fire deaths was 'revenge attack' on wrong house |
(35 minutes later) | |
A fire which killed four members of the same family was a revenge attack on the wrong house, a jury has heard. | A fire which killed four members of the same family was a revenge attack on the wrong house, a jury has heard. |
Seven men and a youth have gone on trial accused of setting fire to a house in Leicester on 21 September. | Seven men and a youth have gone on trial accused of setting fire to a house in Leicester on 21 September. |
They are charged with the murder of Shehnila Taufiq, 47, daughter Zainab, 19, and sons Bilal, 17, and Jamal, 15. | They are charged with the murder of Shehnila Taufiq, 47, daughter Zainab, 19, and sons Bilal, 17, and Jamal, 15. |
The prosecution said the group meant to target the mother of a man they believed had earlier killed a friend of theirs - but she lived two doors away. | The prosecution said the group meant to target the mother of a man they believed had earlier killed a friend of theirs - but she lived two doors away. |
All eight defendants deny murder. They are: | All eight defendants deny murder. They are: |
Opening the case at Nottingham Crown Court, prosecutor Richard Latham QC, told the jury the fire related to the stabbing of 20-year-old Antoin Akpom on 12 September. | |
He said a crowd gathered around him in Kent Street and "word was out on the street that Antoin Akpom was seriously injured". He died a short time later in hospital. | He said a crowd gathered around him in Kent Street and "word was out on the street that Antoin Akpom was seriously injured". He died a short time later in hospital. |
In the early hours of 13 September, the fire service was called to a house about a mile away in Wood Hill where flames had taken hold. | |
Mr Latham said: "The fire had been set for a retribution process for the stabbing." | Mr Latham said: "The fire had been set for a retribution process for the stabbing." |
Petrol was poured through the letterbox and then lit, he said, causing "one of the worse domestic fires" one fireman had witnessed in 15 years. | Petrol was poured through the letterbox and then lit, he said, causing "one of the worse domestic fires" one fireman had witnessed in 15 years. |
"The fire took hold immediately," Mr Latham said. "The primary means of escape was unavailable to this family. They were trapped upstairs." | "The fire took hold immediately," Mr Latham said. "The primary means of escape was unavailable to this family. They were trapped upstairs." |
He said the Taufiq family had nothing to do with the stabbing but that the mother of one of the men accused of Mr Akpom's murder lived in the same street. | He said the Taufiq family had nothing to do with the stabbing but that the mother of one of the men accused of Mr Akpom's murder lived in the same street. |
Mr Latham said: "They simply got the wrong house - a tragedy." | Mr Latham said: "They simply got the wrong house - a tragedy." |
The family's father, Dr Taufiq Sattar - a paediatric neurosurgeon - was working in Dublin at the time. | The family's father, Dr Taufiq Sattar - a paediatric neurosurgeon - was working in Dublin at the time. |
He sat through the opening of the hearing in the public gallery. | He sat through the opening of the hearing in the public gallery. |
The trial is expected to last up to eight weeks. | The trial is expected to last up to eight weeks. |
Earlier this month 19-year-old Hussain Hussain was jailed for a minimum of 15 years for the murder of Mr Akpom. | Earlier this month 19-year-old Hussain Hussain was jailed for a minimum of 15 years for the murder of Mr Akpom. |
The jury failed to reach a verdict in the case of his co-accused Abdul Hakim, 19. | The jury failed to reach a verdict in the case of his co-accused Abdul Hakim, 19. |