Student Haroon Sharif knew nothing about a fatal arson attack until he had a phone call from the brother of a young girl he is accused of murdering, a court heard.

Sharif, 21, is one of six accused of killing Anum Khan, nine, in a fire at her home in Magdalen Road, east Oxford, on August 26 last year. Her brother Majid, 15, died two days later from his burns.

He told a jury at Birmingham Crown Court yesterday (Thursday) that Amjad Khan, 24, the brother of Anum and Majid, who was in Bullingdon Prison at the time for heroin dealing, called co-accused Riaz Munshi's mobile phone later that day. He said his sister had been killed in a fire.

Sharif said: "I said to him 'Are you talking stupid?' I couldn't believe what he was saying."

Amjad was cut off but then called back when he spoke to Munshi, Sharif's girlfriend.

Sharif said: "She was shocked and upset. She started crying.

"Riaz told me, Fiaz (her sister), had been weird that morning. Fiaz told her the others had something to do with it." He said that co-defendant, Haq Nawaz, then wanted to speak to him and Riaz and told them to say they had not been in Oxford that night.

Sharif, whom the prosecution claim was acting as a lookout in Oxford, said earlier he was just cruising around the city with his friend, who was looking for some wheels to steal from a Metro.

He talked to Riaz a number of times on the phone but the conversations had nothing to do with the fire, the court heard.

Sharif then received a phone call from his girlfriend at 3.08am - about the time of the fire - to say she wanted to be picked up from the McDonald's Restaurant in Headington.

They both sneaked into his house in Morrell Avenue, Oxford, where they slept in his bedroom for the night before creeping back out the next morning.

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

The trial continues.

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