10-Year-Old Girl Jumped From Window To Flee Attacker

A court has heard how a 10-year-old girl jumped from a window to escape a "horrible" man who was assaulting her mother, before shooting her dead.

The girl, now 11, is a witness in the case against 50-year-old David Oakes, who is accused of murdering his ex-partner Christine Chambers, 38, and their two-year-old daughter Shania, in June 2011.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard how the girl had fled by jumping from a window after Oakes had thrown a gun at her.

However, Mr Oakes denies the two counts of murder at the house in Braintree, Essex.

The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court Miss Chambers and Mr Oakes had broken up and were fighting over custody of Shania.

A video interview taken shortly after the attack was played to the court. The girl said: "He came in our house with lots of weapons.

"He came in when we were all about to go to sleep and mummy said, 'Get out of my house'."

The child described hearing somebody climbing the stairs shortly after midnight on 6 June.

"He turned the light on and said 'do you know why I'm here?’”, she said.

"He kept saying he was going to burn our house down. He made mummy cut off her hair a bit as well."

In the video, the girl said she had pleaded with Mr Oakes not to hurt her, Miss Chambers or Shania, the jury heard.

Mr Oakes allegedly responded: "Yeah, yeah."

Mr Oakes, of Canney Road, was treated for a gunshot injury in what the prosecution described as a failed suicide attempt during the incident.

He was not in court to hear the girl's evidence.

The trial continues.

(H)