A 38-YEAR-OLD woman helped murder two siblings in a revenge arson attack in Oxford's Magdalen Road nearly 17 years ago, a jury has heard today.

Fiaz Munshi denies murdering eight-year-old Anum Khan and her brother Majid, 15, in the East Oxford blaze in August 1997.

Opening the Oxford Crown Court case this morning, prosecutor Neil Moore told the jury the fire was started after 3am on August 26 - half an hour after the lights had been switched off.

He said petrol had been squirted through the letterbox and ignited.

Anum was found dead in her bedroom and Majid, who jumped from a window, died in hospital later.

Mr Moore said the blaze was planned by a group - including Munshi - who resented the family.

It was said that the family had blamed the group for their son Anjad Ali Khan's downfall after he was imprisoned for dealing heroin that year.

The jury heard five men were convicted of the murders in 1998 and Munshi's sister Riaz was later convicted of manslaughter.

Munshi, however, did not face trial as she left for Pakistan before the arrests.

Mr Moore added: "We submit on all the evidence it is simply inconceivable that she was not part of the plan."

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