Arsonist Jamie Barrow has been found guilty of the murders of a mum and her little girls after setting fire to their flat, and watching it burn. Fatoumatta Hydara, 28, and daughters three-year-old Fatimah Drammeh and one-year-old Naeemah Drammeh, died from smoke inhalation after depressed neighbour Jamie Barrow, who found fire relieved stress, poured petrol through their letterbox as they slept.
The mum and her children were rescued from their one-bedroom first-floor, in Fairisle Close, Clifton, by brave fighfighters who entered the burning home wearing breathing gear. Reclusive Barrow had admitted the manslaughter of the young family but denied their murder, claiming he believed the property was unoccupied at the time.
But a jury convicted him unanimously this morning (Tuesday, July 4) of their murder. He will be sentenced this Friday.
He showed no emotion as he was convicted.
Barrow, 31, who had applied to move from his Nottingham City Homes flat prior to the fire, was also found guilty of arson being reckless as to endanger life - but his case was he did not believe the fire would spread from immediately behind the front door.
Read more: Jamie Barrow said the 'blowback was huge' after he started fire which led to 3 deaths in Clifton
He had been at home self-harming and drinking heavily before starting the fire, using petrol from his motorbike, hours after the family had returned home from staying with Mrs Hydara's mother. Barrow had said the "blow back was huge" after lighting the petrol.
He remained in the area of Mrs Hydara’s flat for five-and-a-half minutes after the start of the fire. According to the prosecution, he watched it burn, and was still there when the fire alarm went off and when Mrs Hydara or one of the children were screaming.
Barrow failed to get help from anyone and, after going off with his dog for a walk, he returned to the scene, now crawling with fire engines and police, and pretended he had nothing to do with the tragedy which unfolded.
Neighbours recalled smelling alcohol on his breath, with one describing him as looking "really smashed". As the rescue operation began to try to save the mum and children, with CPR being given outside the home, and police setting up a scene, Barrow milled around outside the cordon with his dog looking on.
Fatimah and Naeemah were certified dead less than two hours of the fire starting. Their mum died two days later in intensive care. She never regained consciousness.
The family had lethal lethals of carboxyhemoglobin in their blood. The court heard a significant adverse effect of a fire is it produces carbon monoxide and this binds to hemoglobin more effectively than oxygen.
Barrow remained at the scene
He was recorded on body worn footage giving his name and address to police. A neighbour got him one of her partner's coats to wear.
"The defendant agreed he was with his neighbours and pretended he did not know how the fire started," said Mrs Justice Tipples in her summing up.
One police constable was stood on a pathway leading to the entrance of properties in Fairisle Close. She was asked on her radio if she was with the occupant of 19 Fairisle Close, and Barrow was stood behind her.
He said: "Looks like I'm next to the fire". The officer was asked to get Barrow's keys, which she did, and minutes later they were returned to him.
Police opened up their van for anyone needing to be evacuated to get in and keep warm - and Barrow climbed in with his dog. He asked the PC if he was able to back to his flat for food for his dog - but she advised him he could not.
"She did not remember him asking anything about the fire or what had happened to the occupants," said the judge. "He agreed that he kept pretending that he did not know how the fire started and he appeared calm and composed.
"He said he was trying to protect himself for what he had done and he wasn't calm inside".
What happened after the fire?
Residents were evacuated to Clifton Campus at Nottingham Trent University. Barrow went in the police van and they arrived there at 4.45am - after the fire had started at 3.13am. One resident said Barrow would not be quiet when they got there and they were in a "massive area" of the university and Barrow was "still the lead person who was there".
The jury heard the resident said, "to be honest, I thought he was a bit of a wally" - referring to Barrow - and it seemed he was trying to impress people and thank people. A housing officer spoke with the concerned group - and Barrow piped up he was the occupant of 19, Fairisle Close, directly next door to the fire-damage at 23, Fairisle Close.
The officer recalled Barrow had asked him if there was significant smoke damage to his property, would he be able to claim from the local council. The officer's response was if Nottingham Council Homes was in some way responsible, then a form would have to be filled in.
Another resident heard Barrow asking questions about the policy, believing there was an insurance policy. Barrow said he was not trying to make light of what had happened, but he was a bit worried about his flat.
The housing officer did concede there was a little insurance policy available, the jury heard. A second neighbour said Barrow was quite aggressive and he kept swearing quite a lot - and thought he was quite irate because the man from the council could not tell him exactly what would happen.
Another witness, who had known Barrow for 18 months to two years, said the defendant told him he was walking his dog at the time the fire was going. The defendant went on to tell the jury he was ashamed of his behaviour after his evacuation and he accepted that trying to get compensation for property damage was a poor choice.
