A man who burned to death a mother and her two daughters has been sentenced to life in prison.
Fatoumatta Hydara, age 28, and Fatimah and Naeemah Drammeh, ages three and one, perished in November when their residence in Clifton, Nottingham, caught fire.
Jamie Barrow, their neighbor, was convicted of three counts of murder for intentionally setting the fire.
Barrow, 31, was sentenced to a minimum of 44 years in prison by the Nottingham Crown Court on Friday.
The court heard that on November 20, Barrow poured fuel from his motorbike through the letterbox of the family’s Fairisle Close apartment and set it on fire.
He admitted to the manslaughter of the mother and her children but claimed he believed the flat was unoccupied when he started the fire.
Mrs. Hydara and her children perished from inhaling smoke.
Judge Amanda Tipples stated during sentencing that Barrow began a fireball that would have rapidly filled the flat with thick, toxic smoke.
She stated that she was certain Barrow knew the family was inside and heard Mrs. Hydara’s cries but did nothing to assist.
The judge stated that Barrow had observed the fire spread for five minutes before fleeing with his dog as other neighbors rushed to assist.
He returned and pretended not to know about the fire before telling the cops he sparked it.
Mrs. Tipples stated, “Only you know why you have done this. Your evidence makes it impossible to comprehend the reasons.”
She stated that Barrow was in “a dark place” when he began the fire, having consumed 10 or 11 cans of lager beforehand.
Barrow was sentenced to a minimum of 44 years for each count of homicide.
He was convicted to 10 years for arson that recklessly endangered flat dwellers.
All terms will be served simultaneously.
Aboubacarr Drammeh, the husband of Mrs. Hydara, had previously labeled Barrow “a coward who knew exactly what he was doing and when to do it”
Barrow killed Mr. Drammeh, who was working in the US and planning to move his wife and daughters there.
As part of their plans to emigrate, he was scheduled to return to the United Kingdom one week after the fire so that his family could attend an interview for their visa application at the United States Embassy in London.
He returned to England and spent his 40th birthday identifying his children’s corpses at a hospital mortuary.
He stated, “Two little angels, their deceased bodies lying side by side. I grasped their icy palms. I wished we could trade places.
“Only God knows the reason. I must accept and prepare for the subsequent stage of my existence. I have nothing more to say than I’m remorseful”.
And I was not present when I ought to have been.
“Protection was my primary duty as a father and a spouse; that was my fundamental obligation. I make no justifications.
“Because of you, and you alone, I failed in my only responsibility as a father.”
Mr. Drammeh told Barrow he did not know why the defendant started the fire that killed his wife and children.
He added: “I am angry, I am sad, I am wounded, I am heartbroken. In addition, I am grateful that they are a part of me. I am grateful to Fatoumatta and the children for making me a stronger individual.”
“I harbor no animosity towards anyone in the world, including you.”
“That night, you, Jamie Edwin Barrow, acted as judge and jury and sentenced me to this.”
“The only consolation I have is that you cannot do this to anyone else in the world,” she said.
During the trial, Barrow’s solicitors stated that his actions were not premeditated and that he regretted his actions.
However, Mrs. Tipples told him, “I do not believe you have demonstrated genuine regret for your actions. You have attempted to minimize culpability for your actions.”
The judge went on to commend the bravery of adjacent residents who attempted to assist the family immediately following the fire, as well as the police, paramedics, and firefighters who arrived on the scene within minutes.
‘A very dangerous character’
Following the hearing, Detective Chief Inspector Clare Dean of Nottinghamshire Police stated, “The sudden loss of Fatoumatta, Fatimah, and Naeemah shattered a kind, gentle, and compassionate family, and the senselessness of their deaths has been incredibly difficult for them.”
“Barrow was too cowardly to confess to these murders. But I hope he finds the courage to explain why he committed such a heinous crime one day”.
Regardless of his motivation, he is a very dangerous individual. Because he poses a threat to society, we applaud today’s sentencing.
“Although it does not bring back Fatoumatta, Fatimah, and Naeemah, we hope that the fact that the perpetrator is in prison, where he cannot harm anyone else, provides some solace to the family.”
