Sandra Nowocinska death: Boyfriend accused of starting fatal flat fire
The boyfriend of a woman killed in a major flat blaze has been accused of deliberately started the blaze - in a bid to get rehoused, a court heard.
Under cross-examination at Worcester Crown Court the jury was told Fabian Kobusinski owed his landlord nearly £1,500 and was unhappy promised repairs to the property had not been carried out.
His girlfriend Sandra Nowocinska was killed in the fire in Horsefair in Kidderminster on November 27, 2014.
Her neighbour Mark Moat, 43, is on trial, accused of starting the blaze that killed her by setting a wheelie bin alight in a passageway next to the flats, where he also lived, while he was drunk.
He denies manslaughter and two counts of arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered.
Miss Abigail Nixon, defending Moat - of no fixed abode - alleged it was actually Miss Nowocinska's partner who was behind the blaze.
He was in debt of £1,460, the court heard.
She asked him: "Did you start that fire thinking that fire damage to the premises might cause you to be rehoused?" Mr Kobusinski replied: "No."
Miss Nixon then questioned if he had started the blaze so that 'you didn't have to pay the landlord that amount of money'. Mr Kobusinski again denied he started the fire.
Earlier on, Mr Kobusinski has told the court he had seen two previous fires started by Moat outside the back of the flats in the three or four months leading up to the fatal blaze.
He said the first of these was under control but a second, larger fire was not and 'the flames were very high'.
Describing the fatal fire in November, Mr Kobusinski told the jury that when smoke started overwhelming their one-bedroom flat he and Miss Nowocinska huddled together in the hall.
"The smoke was really really black, I couldn't see my hands right in front of my face," he said.
He told the court that the lights in the flat then went off.
"I heard an explosion and then everything switched off."
The next thing he knew Mr Kobusinski said he was with a friend by the living room window, and being urged to jump by passers by outside.
He told the court he must have passed out due to the flames so does not know how he got to the window from the hall.
Eventually he jumped to safety but only realised when he was outside the flat that Miss Nowocinska was still inside.
The trial continues.
