A car salesman accused of murdering his wife, toddler son and father-in-law in a house fire wept today as he told a jury: "I loved my child".

Danai Muhammadi cried as he said: "I loved my child, my son, he meant everything to me. I was very happy.

"I prayed to God that any harm or disease to come to him would be passed on to me, not him."

Muhammadi had a large tattoo with a photo of his son, Noah, inked on his arm when the boy was eight months old.

He said: "It was because of my great love for Noah, despite being against my religion. One is forbidden to have such things on one's body."

Two months later, last March, his wife Melissa Crook left him after he punched her and "pestered her for sex", the court heard.

Muhammadi denies torching the Crooks' family home in Chatham Hill, Chatham, in a fit of spite last September 10. The fire killed Melissa, Noah and her 49-year-old father Mark.

The 24-year-old spoke through a Kurdish interpreter this morning at Maidstone Crown Court after swearing on the Koran.

He said Melissa, described as "strong-willed", proposed to him instead of the other way round aged just 16.

Mark Crook (left), his daughter Melissa and her toddler son Noah were killed in a house fire

"I remember in May 2009 we came down to Chatham," Muhammadi said. "Mel suggested if we could invite her grandparents and her parents to a restaurant to eat together.

"I still remember the restaurant, her sister and brother were working there. She asked me that day whether I would marry her."

He was not keen at first, telling the jury: "We had an argument. She said she would like to have our marriage and the ceremony take place in church. I was not in favour of that - I wanted a quiet marriage."

They wed in Rochester's Corn Exchange in September 2009 and went on honeymoon in Bournemouth.

Melissa was studying business administration at City College Coventry, where the couple moved, and working at a coffee shop and taxi firm. She was 20 when she died.

Melissa's family were "very good, very supportive", Muhammadi said, despite disapproving of the move.

"Even for the wedding they supported us very much," he said.

He said he "considered them all my family" and called Melissa's grandmother "Nan".

But they were different to him. He said: "I'm usually a quiet person. They were joking with each other, talking, chatting, but I usually don't like such things."

Muhammadi said he gave his wife money "any time she needed" even after the split for clothes, nappies and baby wipes.

Up until the fight, he said: "It was my responsibility to put (Noah) to bed and even give him a bath."

Muhammadi strongly denied claims by Melissa's brother Bohdan, 22, that his wife was "like a slave".

He said: "I still remember he gave an example of making a sandwich. When one is in a relationship what do you expect? When you are wife and husband you can't ask your wife to make you a cup of tea?

"I think perhaps it's better for one to think about they say before they just spell it out."

Born in Iran, Muhammadi moved to Britain aged 18 in 2005 where he first lived in Hull. He worked there in a cucumber factory and chicken factory before moving to London.

He came to Maidstone in November 2007 and worked at a bakery on the 20-20 industrial estate in Allington.

Police at the scene of the house fire in Chatham Hill

There he met Iraqi forklift truck driver Farhad Mahmud, later a bouncer at Maidstone nightclub Babylon and co-accused of murder.

He told the court he met Melissa in January 2008 because a relative of his was dating her friend Rachel.

They became a couple a month later, he said - on Valentine's Day "she bought me a card and some beverages and asked me to be more than friends".

The couple rented their marital home in Britannia Street, Coventry, and were saving for a place of their own. Muhammadi's parents sent him £15,000, but he spent £11,000 of it on a car.

Muhammadi denied offering Mahmud money to start the fatal fire.
He said Mahmud texted him his bank details the next day because he owed Mahmud £150 after selling his car for him.

He said: "I made my way to the bank but the bank was closed." It was an hour and a half before he was arrested.

Muhammadi also denied drunkenly offering Bohdan money to throw acid in someone's face. "That conversation never took place," he said.

Muhammadi's new girlfriend also denies murder

Muhammadi, of Britannia Street, Coventry, denies murdering Melissa, Noah and Mark Crook and attempting to murder Bohdan and Melissa’s 50-year-old mother Amanda.

Mahmud, 35, of Fernhill Road, Maidstone, and Muhammadi's new girlfriend Emma Smith, 21, of Barley Lea, Coventry, deny the same charges.

The trial continues.