Reading flats fire: Man recalls jumping from burning building

A man has described how he jumped from a burning building after it was set alight by a nuisance neighbour who was "filled with fury" about being evicted.

Hakeem Kigundu, 32, has been jailed for life for murdering two men who died in the fire he started at a block of flats in Reading on 15 December last year.

Resident Joel Richards told the BBC about the panic of that day and how he managed to help two others escape.

However, he said he also continued to suffer with survivor's guilt.

Mr Richards said all of the windows blew out moments after he jumped to safety

Mr Richards, a bus driver, said he first became aware of the fire at Rowe Court in the early hours of the morning when he heard a man downstairs shouting and trying to urge people to escape.

"This guy has literally set the place on fire - you need to jump," Mr Richards remembers the man screaming.

Mr Richards said he made the quick decision not to jump at that stage, instead covering himself in a big coat and soaking himself in water so he could try to help others trapped in their flats.

Kigundu had splashed 50 litres of petrol in the building's communal areas, making the corridors treacherous - and Mr Richards tripped over one of the bodies as soon as he stepped out of his front door.

"Straight away I kind of knew what it was," he said.

"So I tried to grab this person but the smoke was in my eyes, the petrol fumes - I just kept smelling it.

"I tried to move him but my hand was just catching on fire because the place was ablaze."

Joel Richards was badly burned in the fire and spent months recovering

He realised there was nothing he could do to save the man, and proceeded to try to kick down a neighbour's door to raise the alarm.

He told the couple inside that they all needed to jump from the first floor window.

"I hung off the ledge, which was hard because at the time my hands were burned and that's when I realised how bad they were. I had no skin on [my left hand] at all," he said.

Richard Burgess (left) and Neil Morris both died in the fire

Mr Richards watched the couple jump, describing how the man instantly broke his leg.

"I jumped and just rolled into the bush," he said. "The whole building exploded when I landed so we were fortunate to get out at that time."

He added: "People were everywhere just panicking and screaming- I knew I was burnt... I knew I couldn't breathe."

Hakeem Kigundu admitted starting the fire in Reading

Mr Richards' neighbours Richard Burgess, 46, and Neil Morris, 45, were both killed in the fire.

"I had survivor's guilt because of the people I didn't save," Mr Richards said. "I didn't save Richard, I didn't save Neil - and I knew these two people and I was close to Richard.

"He was just a really nice, calm guy and Neil was very similar.

"I know Richard was trying to get to my door.... and I feel guilty I couldn't get him. I didn't have the strength to drag him through that fire. That's something that'll stay with me."

Mr Richards said he lost all of his possessions apart from one cherished photo of his son and spent months recovering from his burns.

He said Kigundu, who would play music loudly every night and keep his neighbours awake, had been aggressive and abusive since moving in and the residents had been "counting down" to his eviction.

"He thought we were directly responsible [for his eviction]," Mr Richards said, referring to an audio diary kept by Kigundu in which he talked about how he would kill his neighbours.

"For me, he's a terrorist," he added.

"They say you can't heal until you forgive - I disagree. I think I'm healing but I'm not going to forgive."