A man accused of murdering a mother and two children by setting fire to their flat told a psychiatrist that setting fires had “always been cathartic” for him, a trial has heard.

Jamie Barrow said that fires had “always helped stress” and that he was “mesmerised” by them taking hold, Nottingham Crown Court heard.

The 31-year-old is on trial charged with three counts of murder after Fatoumatta Hydara, Fatimah Drammeh and Naeemah Drammeh died in the blaze in Fairisle Close, Clifton, Nottingham, on November 20 last year.

Barrow, also of Fairisle Close, has already admitted three counts of manslaughter but denies triple murder and a count of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

In a psychiatric report read to the court on Tuesday by defence KC Christopher Henley, Barrow said: “Fire has always helped with stress. It has always been cathartic.

“When it goes up it’s always a sense of release.

“The more it goes, the more mesmerised I get.”

The trial has previously heard that Barrow poured petrol through the letterbox of Mrs Hydara’s first-floor property in the early hours of November 20 last year, before setting it alight and staying while the blaze took hold.

Mrs Hydara, 28, died two days after the incident, while Fatimah and Naeemah, aged three and one, both died from smoke inhalation during the fire.

Prosecutor Simon Ash KC previously told the jury of eight men and four women that Barrow had a “grievance” about rubbish building up in an alleyway, but that it was not accepted that Mrs Hydara was responsible for leaving the rubbish.

Speaking on Tuesday, Mr Ash said that Barrow had contacted Nottingham City Homes – the housing arm of the city council – on October 26 and November 12 last year, referring to the rubbish as a “health hazard”.

But Mr Ash said neighbours claimed that other residents had left the items in the alleyway.

Giving evidence, Dr Vivek Furtado, an associate clinical professor of forensic psychiatry called as a prosecution witness, told the court that Barrow had Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD), which could cause him to self-harm and suffer low mood.

But he disagreed with the suggestion that Barrow would set fires to relieve stress, instead believing Barrow had an “interest” in them.

He said: “He has described having an interest in fires, not necessarily using them as a coping mechanism and they are two different things.

“He has an interest in fire and not necessarily starting fires to relieve stress, because it is not something he has done at every point to relieve stress.”

Mr Henley then said: “It does also perform that function on occasion.”

Dr Furtado replied: “I would disagree with that.”

“What he does mention is having a fantasy of setting fire to others in the context of violence,” he added.

The trial, which began on June 12, has been attended by several of the victims’ family members throughout.

In a previous statement, Aboubacarr Drammeh, the children’s father, said his wife was a “very faithful person”, who was “caring” and would help “whoever she could”.

He also said of his children: “They were both really happy children. They loved spending time with their grandparents and got along really well as siblings.”

The trial continues.