Britain: An Iraqi used-car salesman has been jailed for life for murdering his estranged white wife, their young son and his father-in-law by setting fire to their family home after his marriage collapsed

Danai Muhammadi, 24, was fuelled by spite, anger and resentment when he killed Melissa Crook, 20, and their 15-month-old son Noah by torching the house in Chatham Hill, Chatham, Kent. Melissa’s father Mark Crook, 49, was left critically ill with severe burns in hospital following the fire just before 2.30am on September 10, 2011 and he died six days later. Judge Mr Justice Sweeney, sentencing at Maidstone Crown Court, told Iraqi-born Muhammadi that he will spend at least 38 years behind bars before being eligible for parole. The court heard how Muhammadi and his friend, bouncer Farhad Mahmud, 35, squirted petrol through the letter box using a garden spray container, leading to fire breaking out at the base of the stairs. The location of the fire cut off any reasonable means of escape for the family who were asleep upstairs as the blaze took hold. As smoke and flames filled the three-bedroom terraced house, Melissa collapsed in an upstairs bedroom and was found dead by firefighters lying by her son who was wrapped in a quilt. Mahmud was also found guilty of three counts of murder. Muhammadi and Mahmud were both also found guilty of two counts of attempted murder. Muhammadi’s new girlfriend, jobless Emma Smith, 21, was cleared of three counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder but convicted of three counts of manslaughter after a six-week trial at Maidstone Crown Court. Mahmud was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 34 years prison before being eligible for parole. Muhammadi's girlfriend Smith showed no emotion as she was jailed for 14 years.