Dad denies suffocating his two young children before trying to kill their mum and setting fire to the family home

A DAD has denied smothering his two young children before trying to kill their mum and burn down the family’s home.

Endris Mohammed, 46, is accused of murdering eight-year-old Saros Endris and his sister Leanor Endris, six, their home in Hamstead, Birmingham.

Both children – who are alleged to have died from airway obstruction – were pronounced dead after being taken to hospital following a fire at the house in the early hours of October 28 last year.

Appearing at Birmingham Crown Court today Mohammed, 46, spoke only to confirm his name and enter his pleas.

He sat hunched forward as he watched the proceedings while wearing a grey jumper and a large bandage round his head.

Mohammed also denied trying to kill his children’s mum Penil Teklehaimanot as her friends watched from the public gallery.

Mohammed was charged with murder in January after being released from hospital following treatment for burns suffered in a car fire.

Prosecutor Jonas Hankin QC said tests had found the children died after being unable to breath.
He said: “A complex examination of the bodies reported the cause of death was airway obstruction.”
Neighbours managed to rescue the children from the house as a fire raged in the hallway and frantically performed CPR on them.

But firefighters found them “lifeless” on the front lawn and they were pronounced dead in hospital.
Ms Teklehaimanot, 36, sustained minor injuries in the incident.

Mohammed was arrested forty miles away in Newcastle-under-Lyme.
Judge Melbourne Inman QC, Recorder at Birmingham Crown Court, remanded Mohammed in custody and set the trial date for November 6.

The trial is expected to last six weeks.

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