Mum Cleared Of Killing Her Children In Fire - Sky News

6:30pm UK, Tuesday February 22, 2011

Lisa Dowd, Midlands correspondent

A mother has been found not guilty of killing two of her children in a fire at their Derbyshire home.

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Fiona Adams was cleared by a jury at Nottingham Crown Court of murdering her five-year-old daughter Niamh and her two-year-old son Cayden in the blaze in Buxton, Derbyshire.

She sobbed loudly as not guilty verdicts were given on charges of murder, manslaughter, arson and grievous bodily harm.

In a statement read out for her by her solicitor outside court she said the verdict had "been long awaited".

The 24-year-old mother escaped from the house with her third and youngest child Kiernan, by jumping from an upstairs window just before midnight on April 23 last year.

During the trial, prosecutor Timothy Spencer QC told the court Adams started the blaze because she wanted to create a "drama" to get the attention of her partner James.

As a mum she was absolutely brilliant, couldn't have asked for a better mum.

Former partner James Maynard

He was the father of all three children and the court heard that he had cheated on her leveral times, leading to her attempting suicide.

The couple are no longer in a relationship.

The prosecution said Mr Maynard was repeatedly late home from his job as a hotel waiter and bartender and would often fail to reply to her text messages.

He was in the court's public gallery and wept as the verdict was delivered.

Outside court afterwards, he said he never doubted her innocence.

"As a mum she was absolutely brilliant, couldn't have asked for a better mum" he said.

Fiona Adams and two of her children

Her father Michael Adams said she had not been allowed to the funeral of her two children and would now be able to finally mourn their loss.

"She hasn't had time to grieve. They took something away from her there" said Mr Adams.

His daughter was clearly emotional as she left court a free woman.

Though they were covered up she still has physical scars from the night of the fire, burns injuries to her neck and chest.

During the trial, she denied prosecution claims the whole evening had been a 'stage drama' and that she had left her two children to die in the house.

Derbyshire police said during the case that there was never any evidence to suggest anyone else had started the fire.