A DAD was killed when a marine distress flare was ignited and thrown into a car while he was asleep in the back seat, a court has heard.

Vilson Meshi’s body was discovered in the back of a fire-damaged Audi, parked in Pincey Mead, Pitsea, on February 26 last year. He was outside, sleeping, ready to see his two children first thing the next morning, Chelmsford Crown Court heard yesterday.

While he was sleeping, the marine flare, which had been stolen from a boat docked at Wat Tyler Marina, Pitsea, was thrown inside - filling the car with fire and smoke.

Mr Meshi, 30, who was living in Derbyshire but was visiting Pitsea to see his children with ex-partner Michelle Mehtab, died from smoke inhalation.

Keani Hobbs, 18, of Stagden Cross, Pitsea, and a 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, are charged with the manslaughter of Mr Meshi, 30, as well as stealing the marine flares. They deny the charges.

Opening the trial, David Matthew, prosecuting, said: “The heat and smoke of the flare killed Mr Meshi.

“A marine distress flare is the sort of flare that you use when you are on a boat to signal when you are in trouble. They are made to work and be seen in the driving rain, in a storm scene. They are far too powerful to be put into a closed car.”

Mr Matthew told the jury that Mr Meshi’s body wasn’t discovered until after 5pm on February 27 after he didn’t turn up to collect the children and Ms Mehtab reported him missing.

When police came and analysed the car, the fire service were called to smash their way inside - initially believing that somebody had committed suicide.

Mr Matthew said: “At the time, Michelle Mehtab had no idea that Vilson Meshi was driving this Audi, she simply didn’t know the car. She saw the car and called the police to report a suspicious vehicle, but Vilson Meshi had registered it to the Pincey Mead address. Michele Mehtab contacted Mr Meshi’s partner and as time wore on, she realised that the car was Vilson Meshi’s. The police arrived at 4.30pm.

“They were PCSOs - it was a low grade incident at the time. It was a strange car, from the investigator’s point of view. These PCSOs arrived knowing that an ex-partner rang about a missing man.

“The passenger side door wasn’t completely shut and there was some melting of the window linings. They called the fire brigade and it became clear that they wondered if they were discovering a suicide. Fire officers broke a rear window and people were trying door handles. They needed to check whether the person was still alive, so they broke other windows to get in.

“The body was cold and they found two child seats. The investigators were then worried that they might find that this was one of those dreadful incidents where someone had killed his own children.”

The trial continues.