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

by Lynn Cox

The half-sister of blaze victim Melissa Crook broke down in court today as she re-lived her last phone call.

Charlotte Acton was in tears as she revealed to a murder trial the young mum had been "happy and upbeat" just hours before the fatal fire.

She was being cross-examined by lawyers for Danai Muhammadi - Melissa's estranged husband (pictured below) - who is accused of murdering her, their 15-month-old son Noah and Melissa's father Mark Crook.

Melissa and Noah were killed in a blaze at the family home in Chatham Hill, Chatham, in September last year. Mark died six days later.

Ms Acton told Maidstone Crown Court today she was very close to Melissa and they would talk on the phone all the time and meet up three or four times a week.

She told the jury she believed Melissa would not go back to her estranged husband and that she had spoken to her on the evening of Friday, September 9, at length. The fire broke out just hours later, at about 2.30am on Saturday.

Mc Acton said Melissa had been in a good mood during their two-hour telephone conversation.

She said Melissa had said Muhammadi had signed divorce papers in front of her at their last meeting - just days before the blaze.

When cross-examined by Timothy Barns QC, Mc Acton she broke down in tears when he suggested she was the last person to talk to Melissa before she died.

Ms Acton said: "I realise that. Yes. She was happy and upbeat about life and their last meeting (between Melissa, Muhammadi and Noah), had been a happy one.

"She told me on the phone that she had taken photos of Noah on her phone at the zoo and the last thing they had done together was that he had signed the divorce paper - she was officially single."

Danai Muhammadi, 24, of Britannia Street, Coventry, his friend Farhad Mahmud, 35, of Fernhill Road, Maidstone, and Muhammadi's girlfriend, Emma Smith, 21, of Barley Lea, Coventry, all deny three counts of murder and two of attempted murder.

The trial continues.