Carl Mills trial: Cwmbran fire murder accused's text threats

Kim Buckley, Kayleigh Buckley and Kimberley Buckley died in the fire

The man accused of murdering three generations of a family threatened to kill his girlfriend and daughter before they died, a court has heard.

Carl Mills, 28, made the threats in a barrage of texts to Kayleigh Buckley, 17, in August and September 2012.

Mr Mills denies killing Miss Buckley, her mother Kim Buckley, 46, and six-month-old Kimberley at their home in Cwmbran, Torfaen, home on 18 September.

Newport Crown Court heard Mr Mills told Miss Buckley he would "murder" her.

He also said he would "make sure" she was a "dead girl".

Prosecutor Gregory Bull QC read out a series of text messages between Miss Buckley and the defendant to the jury.

Texts from Mr Mills on 30 August last year included:

• "Your house is going to go up in flames."

• "I'll murder you lot, might as well [sic] I get accused for it."

• "I'm going to kill you both. I mean it you don't know me at all."

• "I'm going to make sure you're a dead girl."

• "I will kill you."

• "I will kill your daughter. Bye"

• "Times running out [sic]. I will defo [sic] get sent down for murder."

The following day, on 31 August, in another series of texts, Mr Mills said: "I'm going on a murder mission. I don't care if I get locked up."

Carl Mills is accused of killing his daughter, girlfriend and her mother

On 17 September, just a few hours before the fire, Mr Mills texted: "That oxygen will blow you up and that's what I want."

In his final text to Miss Buckley before the fire, Mr Mills said: "That's a warning sign."

Earlier, the court heard Mr Mills was jealous of Miss Buckley's friendship with another boy.

The young man, who cannot be named, told the court via video link Mr Mills sent him a message on Facebook and had threatened to stab him.

The witness told the jury he and Miss Buckley were not friends when she died because be did not approve of Mr Mills.

Patrick Harrington QC, defending, said the pair had exchanged some "pretty unpleasant" text messages in the weeks before she died.

Referring to Mr Mills' threats to kill the witness, Mr Harrington asked the boy: "You weren't frightened of him?"

"No," the boy replied.

Mr Harrington added: "You weren't even slightly scared of him, were you?"

"No," the witness replied.

'Jealous of daughter'

Denise Stanworth, a forensic scientist, told the court alcohol-dependant Mr Mills had a blood alcohol reading of 169-203 mg per 100 ml which he could have tolerated, but an average person would find a lot.

The prosecution alleges that Mr Mills had become jealous of the attention Kayleigh gave to their daughter after she was born very prematurely along with a twin sister Angel, who was stillborn.

A fire investigator previously told the court that a recycling box was deliberately set alight causing a devastating blaze to engulf the house's hallway and spread rapidly through the house.

The trial continues.