Man guilty over girl's 2006 fire death in Birmingham

Alisha died in hospital after the fire

A man has pleaded guilty to killing a six-year-old girl who died following a fire at her home four years ago.

Alisha Begun died the day after the fire at her home in Perry Barr, Birmingham, on 9 March 2006.

Jabed Ali, 27, from Stamford Road, Handsworth, denied murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter at Birmingham Crown Court on Tuesday.

His plea was accepted by the court. Ali also pleaded guilty to arson with intent to endanger life.

Ali will be sentenced later.

In October 2006 an 18-year-old man was convicted of manslaughter and arson over Alisha's death.

Daryll Tuzzio, of Perry Barr, was jailed for eight years and was to spend half of that term on licence.

Tuzzio's trial heard that he had started the blaze in a so-called honour killing plot against the six-year-old's family because of a relationship involving her 21-year-old brother.

The court had heard that shortly before midnight a masked figure had burst into the family's home and sprayed petrol in the hallway before lighting a match.

As the flames spread family members had to jump to safety from an upstairs window.

Tuzzio's co-defendant, Ahmed Hussain, 26, of Harborne, was acquitted of all charges.

Police hunted for Ali after the attack and believed he had fled to Bangladesh.