TEXT messages sent by a murder accused to his girlfriend threatening to burn her house down the night before she died in a fire were "the drink talking", a court heard.

Carl Mills, 28, told a jury at Newport Crown Court he can’t remember sending "unpleasant" messages to his fiancee Kayleigh Buckley, 17, threatening to do her "harm" the night before a fire tore through her Cwmbran home killing her, her mother Kim Buckley, 46, and six-month-old daughter Kimberley on September 18, 2012.

Mills denies the charges.

Mills said he was "tipsy" when he sent the texts accusing Kayleigh of cheating on him and questioning the paternity of their daughter.

One read: "I hate you, I hope you get burned," while another asked her to look at the burning tent outside the house, saying: "Look at your tent, your house will look like that."

Mills, who admitted he had been drinking alcohol that night, told the court he didn't know why he sent the messages, said they were "the drink talking" and he wouldn't have sent them if he was sober.

Gregory Bull QC, prosecuting, told the court Mills lied to police about his contact with Kayleigh on September 17 claiming that instead of arguing they met up to "kiss and cuddle".

Mr Bull read from Mills' police statements where he said the couple were happy and denied they had been arguing or that he had done anything to upset her that night.

Mr Bull suggested Mills tried to mislead the police and was certain he wouldn't be caught out because he believed officers would not see the messages because Kayleigh's phone would have burned in the fire.

Mr Bull QC said: "The truth is Mr Mills you lied and lied and lied again to police because you wanted to cover up the awful things you had done.

"You know that you deliberately set that fire in a moment of temper, intending to put into effect exactly what you said in text messages.

"You wanted Kayleigh to burn, to be trapped in that house and you wanted the oxygen to explode so the house would burn down."

"Why don't you admit what you did?"

Asked by his defence barrister Patrick Harrington QC if he started the fire, Mills, of no fixed abode, replied "no".

Proceeding