A MOTHER told a jury how she saved four of her children's lives in a fire allegedly started by two people from Kidlington.

Mother-of-five Maria Butcher said she passed the youngsters out of a window into the garden as flames and smoke filled the house.

Mrs Butcher relived the night in December last year as the trial of Sarah Jane Griffiths and Ivan Fuller, both of Croxford Gardens, Kidlington, opened at Southampton Crown Court.

The fifth child, a seven-year-old boy, had to be rescued by firefighters after Mrs Butcher was beaten back by thick smoke.

The child was not breathing but was revived.

He was admitted to intensive care, along with Mrs Butcher's 51-year-old mother, who also had to be rescued from the blaze in Southampton's Thornhill area.

Griffiths, 39, denies arson with intent to endanger life and arson being reckless as to whether life is endangered.

Fuller, 26, denies arson with intent to endanger life.

He has pleaded guilty to a charge of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

The court heard that there had been nine people inside the house, including the children, aged two to 11.

Speaking from the witness box, Mrs Butcher said: "I heard popping sounds about midnight and then the smoke alarms started going off.

"I realised there was a fire and I ran upstairs to wake the children."

She said electric fuses had blown and the house was in pitch darkness.

She said: "The smoke was thick and horrible.

"I got four children out by passing them out of the window into the garden."

Mrs Butcher, who used her mobile to phone the fire brigade, was beaten back by smoke as she attempted to rescue the fifth child.

Emergency services rescued the youngster and Mrs Butcher said: "It seemed like hours but it was about 10 minutes.

"He was not breathing when they brought him out."

Coming towards the end of her evidence, Mrs Butcher stared across the court room and said: "My son and mother almost died."

Outlining the case, the prosecution alleged that the house was set on fire using petrol after Griffiths and Fuller had been ripped off in a drugs deal.

The jury heard that Mrs Butcher and Griffiths had shared a cell while they were both in prison.

They had kept in contact after they were released.

Prosecutor Charles Thomas told the jury that Griffiths and Fuller had travelled down to Southampton to visit Mrs Butcher.

But he said: "They were not coming to Southampton to pay a social call, but it was in order to get drugs."

He said the couple intended to buy £2,500 worth of high quality cannabis, but Mrs Butcher intended to rip them off.

Mr Thomas alleged: "After being ripped off that evening these two defendants decided to get hold of some petrol and go round to that house where they knew there would be several occupants."

The trial continues.