The teenager accused of murdering his girlfriend in a flat fire in Arbroath threatened to burn her family home down with petrol nine months before, her mother has told a court
Marion McCagh, 47, said Stewart Blackburn made the threat to her over the phone after he and her 17-year-old daughter Jessica fell out.
She told the High Court in Livingston how she rushed to find Jessica on the night she died and draped her cardigan over her as she lay injured on the grass outside the smoke-filled flat.
Mrs McCagh, who has four other daughters, told the murder trial she was woken by Blackburn knocking on her door. "He said Jessica's been hurt, she's dead," Mrs McCagh told the court.
She described how her husband Garry ran from their home towards Blackburn's flat, and she quickly followed. She said she saw her husband pulling Jessica from the building on to the grass outside the flat. There was nothing on her, I had to put my cardigan over her. I thought she was dead then."
Solicitor General Frank Mulholland QC, prosecuting, went on to ask the witness about events on July 8, 2008. Mrs McCagh said she spoke to Blackburn on the telephone that day after taking the phone off her daughter, who was staying with them at the time.
"He said he was going to burn the house down with petrol," she told the court.
Earlier, the trial heard the last words of Jessica. On Thursday, Jessica's father told the High Court in Livingston that as she lay dying, she told him: "I don't want to die, Dad, I love you."
Meanwhile, Jessica's upstairs neighbour told the trial on Thursday how he braved smoke and flame bare-chested and in bare feet to rescue her.
Ricci Foreman, 19, said that as he tried to get into the burning flat to reach Jessica, Blackburn ran out shouting "Jessica's dead, Jessica's dead".
He added: "I could still hear Jessica screaming. The whole house was orange from the colour of the flames. As I was standing there, Jessica came out with her arms in front of her shouting 'help me, Ricci, help me'.
"She was covered from head to toe in flames, with what looked to me like a white duvet wrapped around her, melting into her. Her face was melting off."
Mr Foreman was giving evidence on the fourth day of the trial of Blackburn, 18, who is accused of murdering the young farmworker at the flat they shared in Arbroath, Angus, by dousing her in petrol and setting her alight.
Blackburn has admitted killing Jessica in an act of culpable homicide but denies murder.
The trial, before Lord Bracadale, continues.
