The father of two children killed in a house fire immediately blamed one of the brothers who is on trial for their murders and that of their mother, a jury heard.

Zaheer Shah sent a text message to Asjid Mahmood saying: “Ring me now. I know you’ve done this,” Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday.

Mr Shah, 32, said he told police on the night of the fire of his problems with Asjid Mahmood, 22, who accused him of ripping him off over a business deal and branded him “the most evil person I’ve ever come across”.

Asjid and his brother, Arshed Mahmood, 18, both of Pollard Lane, Undercliffe, Bradford, deny murdering Iram Shah and her children, Alina, ten, and Aman, eight, by setting fire to their home in Hendford Drive, Pollard Park, Bradford, shortly after midnight on July 6 last year.

Asjid Mahmood admits starting the fire but says he did not intend to cause death or serious injury.

The Crown accuses the brothers of wanting revenge on Mr Shah because he owned them money Mr Shah, who had split from Iram but said their relationship remained good, said he met Asjid Mahmood at a gym and they became friends.

Last year, they bought a new Seat Leon FR on a finance agreement to hire out as a business proposition.

Mr Shah said they split the deposit and the balance of about £17,000 was in the form of a loan agreement in Asjid Mahmood’s name.

Mr Shah said his finances were in a bad state but he scraped together what he could to meet his share of the instalments.

In June, Asjid Mahmood texted him saying he had ripped him off. In further texts, he branded him “heartless, greedy and selfish”.

He accused Mr Shah of lying, cheating and landing him with all the car payments. “You have made me hate you,” Asjid told him.

Mr Shah was also accused of “screwing” Arshed Mahmood out of £500.

On the night of the fire, Asjid texted Mr Shah asking: “Where are you?” When he responded “Manchester”, Asjid replied that he did not believe him.

Mr Shah told the jury he was at Hendford Drive and went out of the house to look around because he was uneasy. He left late that evening and found out about the fire in the early hours.

The trial continues.