Woman 'poured petrol on adulterous husband'

A cheated wife poured petrol on her adulterous husband then set their Walsall home alight, killing him and seriously injuring his daughter, a court was told today.

Georgina Furtado Vilella killed husband Carlos after finding out he had fathered a love child, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

Mr Vilella died in a blaze at the couple's terraced house in Pleck Road at 5am on March 28.

Her four step children were also in the house at the time. Three managed to escape but his 14-year-old daughter was found with "dreadful injuries".

Vilella, aged 46, denies murder and arson with intent to endanger life. A trial due to last two weeks opened this afternoon.

Mr Peter Greaves-Smith QC, prosecuting, said everyone else in the house was asleep at the time of the attack except the accused.

He said she had bought a petrol container and filled it with about five litres of petrol, then poured it over 45-year-old Mr Vilella, or near to him, and ignited it.

The court heard that witnesses who saw her soon after the blaze said she stood outside the burning house and showed no emotion.

"The defendant was seen to walk down the garden and to discard the petrol can she had just used," said Mr Greaves-Smith.

"Those who saw her at that time thought she seemed emotionless.

"At no point did she do anything to help those people in the house."

Mr Greaves-Smith alleged Vilella had made a deliberate decision to seek revenge and had earlier said to the victim that her name would end up in the news.

The family had moved to England in 2006 from Portugal, settling in Pleck Road a year later. Vilella, originally from Guinea, denies the charges.

The trial continues.