A man accused of killing two youngsters in an arson attack lied to police about his whereabouts on the night of the fire, a court heard.

Anum Khan, nine, and her brother Majid, 15, died in the blaze at their home in Magdalen Road, east Oxford, in August last year. Birmingham Crown Court has heard that Alan Swanton and Thomas Liedl set fire to the house after squirting petrol through the letter-box.

Yesterday, the jury was told that Haq Nawaz, 31, lied to police when he gave his first witness statement a few days after the fire. He told officers that he and Fiaz Munshi, sister of accused Riaz Munshi, stayed at his father's house on the night of the fire. Haq Nawaz told police: "I have never been to Oxford with Riaz or Fiaz."

But while on remand, the jury heard, a few weeks before the start of the trial, the defendant decided to change his story, when he learned fellow accused Thomas Liedl had given a statement detailing events on the night of the murders. Robin Gray QC, defending, asked Haq Nawaz: "When did you decide to come clean about being in Oxford that night?" Speaking from the witness box for the second day,Nawaz replied: "I was on remand a few weeks before the trial and I wanted to tell the truth." The court also heard that Haq Nawaz and Haroon Sharif had a private conversation just hours after the fire. Michael Pert QC, defending, asked Haq Nawaz: "What did he (Haroon) tell you about the fire?" Haq Nawaz replied: "He explained that he had asked Alan and Eggy (Liedl) to scare someone for him but things had gone wrong." "He said that they were only supposed to do the front door, not the whole house." Mr Pert asked Haq Nawaz: "Did he (Sharif) know that a child had died in the fire when he spoke to you that afternoon?" He replied: "Yes he told me."

Haq Nawaz also told the jury that he and Haroon Sharif visited Amjad Khan, the brother of Anum and Majid, at Bullingdon Prison, two days after the fire. Amjad Khan is in jail for possessing heroin with intent to supply.

Haq Nawaz and Haroon Sharif knew Anum had died in the fire, the jury heard, but neither mentioned their knowledge to Amjad Khan.

The six accused are Alan Swanton, 18, of Southern Way, Letchworth, Hertfordshire; brothers Mohammed Nawaz, 21, and Haq Nawaz, 31, both of Ridge Road, Letchworth; Thomas Liedl, 18, of Birdshill, Letchworth; Haroon Sharif, 20, of Morrell Avenue, Oxford; and Riaz Munshi, 26, of Fulwell Road, Sheffield. They all deny the charges.

The case continues.

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