A man accused of murdering a mother and her two children in a house fire was behaving abnormally in the hours before the fatal blaze, a jury at Bradford Crown Court heard.

Asjid Mahmood, known as Ash, was very worried and had lost weight, mother-of-three Tracey Shah told the trial.

She said the “quiet and shy” young man was extremely low and looked like he needed help.

“He did not look himself. He was agitated, he was grey, he was constantly fidgeting. He did not look at all how he normally looked,” Mrs Shah said yesterday.

The court has heard that hours later, Asjid Mahmood, 22, started a fire that quickly engulfed a house in Hendford Street, Bradford.

Iram Shah and her children, Alina, ten, and Aman, eight, perished after flames, choking smoke and hot gases spread rapidly through their semi-detached home in the early hours of July 6 last year.

Asjid Mahmood and his brother, Arshed Mahmood, 18, both of Pollard Lane, Undercliffe, Bradford, plead not guilty to three charges of murder. The jury has been told that Asjid admits starting the fire but says he did not intend to cause death or serious injury.

Tracey Shah told the court yesterday that she began a relationship with Iram Shah’s husband, Zaheer Shah, and they had three children together.

She said that, under Islamic law, the couple were married but they separated in March last year when she found out that he was having an affair.

Mrs Shah said that Asjid Mahmood called at her home on July 5. He wanted the keys to a Seat Leon car that he and Zaheer Shah had bought as a business arrangement.

He wanted the car back because the loan agreement was in his name. Mrs Shah told him she did not know where it was.

Questioned by Julian Goose QC, Asjid Mahmood’s barrister, Mrs Shah said he was friendly, played with her children and babysat for her.

She denied that Ashjid Mahmood found Zaheer Shah intimidating because of his verbal attitude and bigger build.

The jury has heard it alleged that hatred and desire for revenge on Zaheer Shah drove the Mahmood brothers to start the blaze. Evidence has been given that the ferocious fire began when petrol-soaked paper was ignited outside the back door.

Iram Shah leapt from a bedroom window with her clothing on fire. She died six days later from severe burns.

Alina and Aman were killed by inhalation of fire fumes when the blaze spread rapidly upstairs.

The trial continues.