Chatham house fire deaths: Three deny murder of family

[dutchman]

Three people have denied murdering a mother, her father and her son who died following a fire at their Kent home.


Mark Crook (left), his daughter Melissa and her toddler son Noah were killed

Melissa Crook, 20, and her 15-month-old son Noah died in the blaze at their house in Chatham Hill, Chatham, in September.

Her father Mark Crook, 49, who was injured in the fire, died the following week in hospital.

Danai Muhammadi, 23, Farhad Mahmud, 35, and Emma Smith, 21, pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder.

Ms Crook's mother Amanda and her brother Bohdan Crook were also injured in the fire.

Arson charge

Mr Muhammadi, Noah's father and estranged husband of Ms Crook (who is also known as Mrs Muhammadi), of Britannia Street, Coventry, and Mr Mahmud of Kensington House, Maidstone, also denied two counts of attempted murder.

Emma Smith of Barley Lea, Stoke Aldermoor, Coventry, Mr Muhammadi's girlfriend, pleaded not guilty to all the same charges as the men.

She also denied an additional charge of conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life.

All three were remanded in custody until the trial at Maidstone Crown Court, due to start on 18 April.

The case will be heard by a High Court judge and is expected to last for four weeks.

[dutchman]

Husband and friend guilty of Chatham family arson murders


Farhad Mahmud, Danai Muhammadi and Emma Smith

A man has been found guilty of murdering his son, estranged wife and her father in a fire in Kent.

Danai Muhammadi, from Coventry, and his friend, Farhad Mahmud, of Maidstone, were both convicted of three counts of murder at Maidstone Crown Court.

Melissa Crook, 20, and the couple's baby son, Noah, died in the fire in Chatham. Her father, Mark, died later.

Muhammadi's girlfriend Emma Smith, also from Coventry, was cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter.

'Life behind bars'

During the six-week trial, the court was told used-car salesman Muhammadi, 24, was filled with "spite, anger and resentment" when he and Mahmud, 35, squirted petrol through the letter box using a garden spray container.

The judge, Mr Justice Sweeney, said the pair faced life behind bars.

He told the jury: "There can be very few criminal cases which are as taxing for a jury than this one must have been.

"I don't suppose any of us are going to forget some aspects of the evidence we have heard about the fire."


Amanda and Bohdan Crook survived the blaze at the family home

The jury also found Muhammadi and Mahmud guilty of two counts of attempted murder of the fire survivors Amanda and Bohdan Crook.

Smith was cleared of both attempted murder charges.

[dutchman]

Danai Muhammadi jailed for killing family in Chatham fire

Noah Crook, his mother Melissa, 20, and her father, Mark, died after 24-year-old Danai Muhammadi, from Coventry, set fire to their home in Chatham, Kent.

His friend Farhad Mahmud, of Maidstone, was also sentenced to life in prison for the three murders.

Muhammadi must serve a minimum of 38 years and Mahmud must serve a minimum of 34 years.

Muhammadi's girlfriend Emma Smith, from Coventry, who was convicted of manslaughter, is due to be sentenced later.

The three were convicted in June after a trial at Maidstone Crown Court.