A PROSTITUTE murdered a Swindon man by locking him in his own house and burning it down after an argument, a court heard today.

Patricia Hindle, 30, allegedly set light to a coat downstairs in Michael Redpath's home in Albion Street before leaving and locking the door, using his key.

She returned to her home in Crombey Street, Swindon, and confessed to a neighbour: "I've killed him, I've burned him, I've set fire to his house."

Winchester Crown Court heard that Hindle had been friends with Mr Redpath for just a few weeks before she torched his home.

Prosecutor William Mousley QC said Mr Redpath, who lived in a Victorian terrace house in Albion Street, was out of work and an alcoholic.

Mr Redpath would "often have girls round" to his home and met Hindle, a drug addict who regularly used crack cocaine, through a mutual friend.

Mr Mousley QC said Hindle "painted a picture that she cared for Mr Redpath" but used him as he was vulnerable and an alcoholic.

Four days before the fire, Mr Redpath was assaulted by Hindle in his home.

She demanded that he give her the PIN to his bank card and kicked him and punched him in an attempt to get it from him.

Police arrived and Hindle claimed that there was nothing going on so they left.

The day before his death, Mr Redpath was allegedly confronted by Hindle - who accused him of getting her into trouble.

Then on the evening of the fire, shortly before the house was burned down, neighbours heard and saw a woman outside Mr Redpath's home shouting for him.

Mr Mousley said neighbours heard her shouting "let me in, I'm supposed to be caring for you."

Shortly after the "commotion" outside, both were inside and an argument broke out between them.

Mr Redpath picked up a knife and told Hindle that he was going with her when she went out to work, but she protested that he stayed at home.

Mr Redpath stumbled and hit his head on an ornament, so he stopped arguing with Hindle and went upstairs to his bedroom.

Hindle left after setting fire to a coat downstairs, locking the door behind her.

She went back to the block of flats she lived at on Crombey Street and banged on the door of her neighbour, Keith Clark.

As Mr Clark opened the door to "stressed" Hindle, sirens could be heard as fire engines went past - at which point Hindle told her neighbour: "They're after me."

Frantic Hindle went inside and when Mr Clark asked what was wrong, she told him: "I've killed him, I've set fire to his house, what do I do?"

Hindle, who denies murder, left to go to Manchester Road, a street in Swindon notorious for prostitution, the court heard, and tried to hide Mr Redpath's bank card and keys by putting them down a drain.

Whilst out, witnesses say she approached them and asked "what happens if you set someone on fire?"

At around 10.30pm she was arrested and sobbed as police told her Mr Redpath had died.

The court heard 45 per cent of Mr Redpath's body was covered in burns and some parts of his skin had been completely singed off by the fire.

He died of smoke inhalation and burns at Great Western Hospital in Swindon.

Mr Mousley QC said: "On the evening of September 10 of last year, some time after 9.30pm, Mr Redpath burned to death in his bedroom.

"That was as a result of a house fire which was started by Patricia Hindle. Having started a fire downstairs, she locked the door and left Redpath unaware of the danger to his life.

"Hindle was arrested at 10.30pm and at that time she said he asked her to lock him in and added that she didn't start the fire.

"She said she had been friends with Redpath for a few weeks and was at his house at 4pm that day, but later left to earn some money through prostitution.

"She explained to Redpath that she was a prostitute and that she was going to go out and earn some money so he could take it with him when he went to court the next morning.

"Redpath picked up a knife and told her that he was going to go with her, she told him not to and a row broke out between them.

"He then fell and banged his head so he went upstairs and Hindle locked the door and left.

"It was not until she went to a psychiatric hospital that she admitted the fire.

"She states that she was given commands to kill Redpath by the voices in her head.

"Whilst it is true she has suffered mental health issues in the past, possibly started by drug abuse, this was done out of human emotion.

"Before the fire, Hindle told her neighbour about a man she used to see and a few days before the fire she told him that they had fallen out.

"On September 6 Hindle assaulted Redpath by kicking and punching him, demanding that he gave her money.

"She wanted his bank card and demanded that he gave her the PIN. Police were called to the home and Hindle told them that her and Redpath weren't arguing, so they left.

"The day before the fire they were seen together in an alleyway in Bristol, she was accusing him of getting her in trouble and said it was getting sorted out.

"During the day of the fire, Hindle saw her drug recovery worker and told her she was feeling very low. During the meeting she was making appointments with her clients on her phone.

"(A neighbour) Neil Wiles saw black smoke coming from the roof of the house when it went up in flames and called 999 as he made his way over to the home.

"Mr Wiles lives on the same road and was just about to go to work, he is a taxi driver.

"He tried to get in the door and could hear the fire roaring inside as well as coughing from Redpath.

"When firefighters went inside, they found Redpath slumped on his bed in a top and loose bottoms with severe burns."

Giving evidence in court, Hindle's neighbour Mr Clark, explained how she visited him after burning down the house.

He said: "She was very upset, as she got in the door fire engines went by and she said 'they're for me.'

"I asked her what had happened and she told me 'I've killed him, I've burned him, I've set fire to his house.'

"She kept repeating 'what do I do?'."

Hindle also claimed to her neighbour that Redpath raped her but medical examinations prove she was not subject to any abuse of this nature.

The trial continues.