A MAN accused of attempting to murder his ex-partner said he only wanted to kill himself and did not mean to start a large fire, a court has heard.

As previously reported, Kyle Butler, 28, from Cannon Close, Ellisfield, stands trial at Winchester Crown Court accused of attempted murder and wounding with intent.

Officers were called to an address in Butler Close in Basingstoke at 6.34am on Friday, June 24, last year. They found a woman in her 20s with non-life-threatening injuries.

The court heard that he allegedly stabbed his ex-partner with a knife he had purchased and set fire to her home. There were also young children in the home at the time of the incident.

READ MORE: Butler Close: 'Man set fire to ex-partner's home and stabbed her'

Opening the case, prosecutor Kerry Maylin said: "Mr Butler entered [the property] Butler Close without an invitation, he made his way into the house and he made his way to her bedroom where she was sleeping. He woke her, he held a knife to her throat, he threatened to kill her and himself, he phoned his sister to collect the two children."

On Tuesday, April 4 the court was shown an interview with Butler and a mental health nurse, recorded after his arrest while he was at Southampton General Hospital.

In the interview, Butler said: "I threw a massive doll house downstairs as I was trying to block the door in. I set something on fire but I didn't think it would be a big fire like that, I thought it would be a small fire.

“The whole aim was to keep them [the police] out for a bit longer but I did not think it would go up that quick.”

SEE ALSO: Butler Close: Smoke seen coming out of bedroom after alleged stabbing

In the interview, he also said he only intended to end his own life after struggling with his mental health after feeling "betrayed" by his ex-partner.

He continued: "My sister was going to pick the kids up so me and my ex-partner could talk.

"I said 'I am not going to hurt you babe I just need to keep them out [the police]'."

In her closing statement, Ms Maylin said to the jury: "You know Butler got into the house, you know that his ex-partner was upstairs in bed and asleep when Butler came up to her.

"And what did she say happened? Well, you watched her account 'he held a knife to my throat'. In her honesty, before you, she said 'I wondered if I was dreaming but I wasn't'.

"His intention was clear the moment he was there by the side of her bed with the knife against her throat."

She continued: "Mr Butler on seeing the emergency services arrive set fire to a grey piece of linen. A mattress in the children's room was also alight.

"The items had been put down the stairs to barricade and to stop the entry of the police officers. If there was no intention to kill her then why would you not just let her go? but he didn't he kept them in the house with him."