A MAN accused of the murder of his girlfriend, his baby daughter and his girlfriend's mother denied setting the fire that killed them.

Carl Mills, 28, gave evidence in his trial in which he accepted he had sent text messages to his girlfriend Kayleigh Buckley including one saying he was going to burn the house down but said these were "empty threats".

He told the jury he had been sat on a wall near the Mill Tavern pub at the time of the fire and only became aware of it when he heard screaming and shouting coming from the same area of the house.

Mills, of no fixed abode, is standing trial at Newport Crown Court charged with the murder of Kayleigh Buckley, 17, their six-month old daughter Kimberley Buckley, and Kayleigh's mum Kim Buckley, 46.

They all died when a fire ripped through their home in Tillsland, Coed Eva, Cwmbran, on September 18, 2012.

Mills denies the charges.

Mills, originally from Bolton in Greater Manchester, told the court he had met Kayleigh on Facebook around August 2010 after she had sent him a friend request on the social media site and it developed into a relationship after she turned 16 in December 2010.

He said he then moved to Cwmbran full time in July/August 2011 and lived in the Buckley home. Kayleigh then fell pregnant with twins in September 2011.

Speaking about the pregnancy, he said: "It was planned but we didn't know it would happen that fast."

Asked about his feelings towards Kayleigh, he replied: "I loved her."

He added he had plans to get married to her, after getting engaged to her in August 2011, and wanted to get a house together with her and have children.

Kayleigh went into premature labour in March 2012.

One of the twins Angel was stillborn while baby Kimberley spent six months in hospital battling health problems.

Mills admitted cutting electric cables when he had stayed at the Buckley home alone one evening in August 2012. He said this was because he had received a nasty text saying he was a "murderer" in reference to his stillborn daughter Angel and said he had reacted in "anger".

Following that he was not allowed in the home and slept at the hospital and in a tent outside the Buckley home.

On the night leading up to the fire he said he had bought a three litre bottle of White Storm cider before going into Cwmbran at about 7.30pm looking for cigarette ends.

He said he then walked to Tillsland and met Kayleigh in a nearby estate. He said the meeting only lasted for a few minutes as she wasn't happy that he had been drinking.

Mills said later that evening at about 1am to 1.30am he went to sit on a wall near the Mill Tavern pub. He said it was while here, he heard shouting and screaming and saw it was coming from the Tillsland area.

After going to the area, he saw smoke and flames and said he spoke to a fire officer, pointing out the rooms of the three victims, before trying to get in the back door.

But he was then arrested by police.

When asked by his barrister Patrick Harrington QC if he had anything to do with the fire, Mills replied: "no".

Mills said he had previously tried to seek help for his drinking by attending appointments at Kaleidoscope.

Proceeding.