Mother and daughters died after neighbour trapped them in flat fire, court told

Jamie Barrow stayed as the blaze took hold before he ‘walked casually away’, jurors were told.

Fatoumatta Hydara with her children Naeemah Drammeh, aged one, and Fatimah Drammeh, aged three (Family handout) (PA Media)

A mother and her two young daughters were murdered by their neighbour who set their flat on fire because he was unhappy about bags of rubbish being left in an alleyway behind their building, a court heard.

Nottingham Crown Court was told Jamie Barrow poured petrol through the letterbox of Fatoumatta Hydara’s first-floor property in the early hours of November 20 last year, before setting it alight and staying while the blaze took hold.

Mrs Hydara, 28, died two days after the incident, while her daughters Fatimah Drammeh and Naeemah Drammeh, aged three and one, were both killed in the fire in Fairisle Close, Clifton, Nottingham.

The prosecution said the defendant “walked casually away” despite screams being heard from inside the flat.

Jurors were told Barrow, 31, had raised a “grievance” with the local authority around a month before the blaze, but prosecutor Simon Ash KC said it was not accepted that Mrs Hydara had been leaving rubbish in the alleyway.

Opening the case to a packed public gallery on Monday, Mr Ash said the defendant has admitted starting the fire but denies murder.

He said: “The defendant in this case is charged with three offences of murder.

“He killed a woman called Fatoumatta Hydara, and he killed her two daughters Fatimah Drammeh and Naeemah Drammeh.

“The defendant killed them by setting fire to their flat in the early hours of the morning on November 20 last year.”

About five minutes later, he walked casually away, leaving Mrs Hydara and Fatimah and Naeemah trapped in the burning flat

Prosecutor Simon Ash KC

Mr Ash said Mrs Hydara and her two children were asleep in the flat when the fire was started.

He continued: “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.

“He knew that there would be no way for them to escape.”

Mr Ash told the jury that Barrow stayed as the blaze took hold and that a fire alarm sounded after it started.

He said: “Shortly after (the alarm), 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.”

Mr Ash said before setting the flat alight, Barrow had walked past the property while the light was on as he was on his way to buy some beer.

“There would have been some light coming from her flat and the light would have been further indication to the defendant that Mrs Hydara and the children were in the flat at the time.”

In a previous statement, Aboubacarr Drammeh, the children’s father, said his wife was a “very faithful person”, who was “caring” and would help “whoever she could”.

He also said of his children: “They were both really happy children. They loved spending time with their grandparents and got along really well as siblings.”

Barrow, of Fairisle Close, Clifton, also denies arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

The trial continues.