Endris Mohammed denies the murders of Saros Endris, 8, and his sister Leanor, 6

An Uber driver murdered his two young children by smothering them with a petrol stained rag before setting his home on fire to try and burn his wife to death, a court heard.

Endris Mohammed, 47, claimed he killed Saros Endris, eight, and Leanor, six, because he had 'no money' and 'felt pressured' by his partner.

He smothered the children with a cloth doused in petrol before he set his house on fire in a bid to murder his sleeping wife Penil Teklehaimanot, 37, the jury was told.

Emergency services rushed to the couple's home following a blaze at the property in Birmingham at around 3,30am on October 28 last year.

The lifeless bodies of the children were dragged outside by their mother who thought they were asleep when they were actually in cardiac arrest.

Saros and Leanor were declared dead at Sandwell General Hospital and Birmingham Children's Hospital at 4.53am and 4.54am, Birmingham Crown Court heard.

Mohammed then drove off in a rented Vauxhall Insignia which he used for work, and was later found 40 miles away in a burning vehicle having tried to kill himself.

Jurors heard Mohammed earlier removed a cooker from a kitchen unit and stabbed a pipe behind so that 'the gas would escape and an explosion would occur'.

The driver - who arrived in the UK from Ethiopia as an asylum seeker in 2006 - also locked the back door and hid the key in a 'deliberate' attempt to trap his wife.

Saros Endris, aged eight, and his six-year-old sister Leanor's 'lifeless' bodies were pulled from the blaze last October

Jonas Hankin QC, prosecuting, said: 'At 3.37am on the morning of October 28 last year, emergency services received the first of many calls.

'Police and fire services were to quick to arrive. A small fire in the front door of that address had been put out and the area smelt strongly of petrol.

'They found Saros and Leanor lying lifelessly on the ground outside. Both children were in cardiac arrest. Both children also had what was later revealed to be chemical burns on their faces.

'Attempts were made to resuscitate the children, but these were unsuccessful. Examination of the house found that it had been doused in petrol, and emergency exits had been impeded.

'Penil had been asleep upstairs in the house when the fire was started. The true reasons why the defendant killed his children and tried to kill his wife may never be known.

The scarred defendant appeared in the dock wearing a sweatshirt and a white bandage wrapped around the top of his head

'His explanation for killing the children was that they would be better off dead than alive because he intended to kill himself.

'The children were happy and had a loving mother who had a home for them to live in. The defendant has never explained why he wanted to burn his wife to death.'

The court was told how the defendant had found himself in financial difficulty after having to pay £250 a week to rent the car from Enterprise.

On October 19, the company withdrew money from Mohammed's account for the car's deposit, leaving him overdrawn.

The day before the incident, the defendant drove to an Esso petrol station and purchased a black fuel container, along with three litres of petrol.

Mr Hankin said: 'Meanwhile, Penil was at home with the children. It was half term and she was looking after them.

'Because it was half term, the children were allowed to do something which they had sometimes done before, and that was to sleep in the living room. They called it a 'sleepover'.

'Penil went to bed at midnight, and the defendant remained downstairs with the children.

A grieving woman (pictured) is led away from the scene of the fire in Hamstead, Birmingham

'At around 3.30am, neighbours heard the sound of a car door closing. They saw a car with its lights on reversing from the driveway of the defendant's home.

'Shortly afterwards, Penil was awoken by the sound of a smoke alarm within her home. As she went downstairs, she saw a small fire near to the front door.

'She immediately tried to put the fire using her hands and her feet while calling for her husband. But he did not appear because he had driven off.

'She was able put out the fire to the extent that she could move beyond it and outside. Penil then realised that the children were still downstairs.

'She went back into the house, but was not able to turn any of the lights on. Leanor was on the sofa and Saros was on the mattress.

'Penil thought that they were sleeping, and she carried Saros outside and went back to get Leanor.

'Penil tried to revive them, but it was apparent that they were not asleep but were unconscious and lifeless.'

At 4.03am Mohammed was recorded as being on the M6 heading northbound before he attempted to take his own life in a car fire.

Mr Hankin said: 'He was found with burns on his face and his arms - which you can see are still present today - and significant damage to his lungs.

Emergency services were called to the family home in Handsworth in the early hours of October 28

'He asked if his children and his wife were still alive. As a result of the incident, he was hospitalised for three months.'

Upon arriving at the hospital, Mohammed was able to see a psychologist and described his actions as 'impulsive'.

During a police interview on January 17 he issued a statement in which he claimed that he 'could only find temporary employment' since moving to the UK.

He said he was 'challenged at every step' as he tried to earn money for his family.

He said that the day before the attack he had a 'persistent thought to end his life', but could not remember what happened from when he arrived home on October 28.

When giving his defence statement on August 25, he said that he had purchased the petrol with the intention to kill himself and thought 'today would be a nice day to die'.

Jurors were told how the defendant was seen by two consultant psychiatrists, the first of whom claimed that he was able to give a clear account of events.

Mr Hankin said: 'The prosecution rejects that the defendant's ability to control his actions was impaired and, significantly, that it was substantially impaired.

'It is not suggested by anyone that the defendant is currently suffering from mental illness.'

Mohammed denies two counts of murder and the attempted murder of his wife, but admits being responsible for the deaths. The trial continues.