A MAN was heard to tell an alleged arsonist – accused of deliberately setting her house on fire – that she lit the blaze ‘to kill herself’, a court heard.

As the trial into the alleged Oxford arson attack continued eye-witnesses described screams and shouting as the first floor flat in the north of the city was engulfed with flames.

One neighbour said he had been set alight during the inferno and that others had to pat off the flames from his back.

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Alice Robinson denies arson with intent to endanger life, and an alternative count of 'arson reckless as to whether life was endangered'.

It is alleged that the 28-year-old of Aldrich Road in Sunnymead, north Oxford, set fire to her home address on the night of December 3 last year.

Earlier in the case prosecutors told jurors that a witness claimed that Robinson began 'lighting' deodorant and a hair spray while in her first floor bedsit.

As her trial at Oxford Crown Court continued yesterday jurors heard from neighbours and eye-witnesses who spoke of what they saw of the incident shortly before midnight.

Neighbour Alan Mustain was the first to take to the witness box.

He told jurors he was in bed when he heard fire alarms ‘going on and off’ before he heard people shouting ‘get out, get out’ from outside his home.

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Mr Mustain said he opened his door and saw smoke before leaving, and soon after he heard a ‘loud explosion’ before an upper window ‘just fell down.’

He went on: “I ran out, my neighbour was patting me on the back. I turned around and said ‘what are you patting me for?’

“I was on fire, the neighbour put me out.”

He said there were ‘at least 10 or 12’ others outside and Robinson was standing against a fence.

Another neighbour who also took to the witness box, Steven Brandish, said that night he heard a man say to Robinson ‘you wanted to set the house on fire to kill yourself.’

Mr Brandish told jurors that he heard Robinson reply: “Yeah” before saying “f**k off.”

Prosecutors went on to read statements from other eye-witnesses present that night.

One described hearing ‘shouting from outside’ and saw a male ‘arguing’ with Robinson.

She said she could not understand what was being said but could hear ‘a lot of swearing from both of them.’

Robinson was described by the witness as ‘becoming more aggressive’ and soon after she heard a ‘loud smash.’

She decided to call the police, she said, before going outside and she said by then she could see ‘the whole of [Robinson’s] flat in flames.’

Another person went on to say to Robinson, she said,: “What the f**k have you done? You could have f***ing killed me.”

Robinson denies the charges and the trial continues.