A burglar who accidentally set fire to a Bristol shop killing a newsagent has been jailed for six years.

Mark Radnedge, admitted responsibility for causing the fire at Newsmart in Axbridge Road, Knowle, which killed Nasir Ahmed, 46.

Radnedge, aged 33, admitted the manslaughter of Mr Ahmed – described as a gentle, quiet man liked by everybody.

Father-of-three Mr Ahmed died in Bristol Royal Infirmary two days after being pulled unconscious from his flat above the shop in February last year.

Mr Ahmed's daughter Nudrat Nasir, 22, was seriously injured in the blaze. Three of her friends who were staying at the flat were also hurt.

Homeless Radnedge pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm to Miss Nasir as well as causing actual bodily harm to lodgers Gulzar Ahmed and Tasdeeq Quereshi.

He further admitted common assault on lodger Sajeed Hassan and a burglary at the shop in which he stole tobacco, fireworks, medicine and a charity box.

Imposing the jail term The Recorder of Bristol Judge Tom Crowther QC told Radnedge he accepted his basis of plea that he had no knowledge there were people living in the flat above the shop at the time of the break-in, and he didn't deliberately set the fire, but simply discarded a lit taper which he'd used which started the fatal blaze.

The judge stressed: "There is no indication as all that any part of the conduct of Mr Radnedge was racially motivated."

Thomas Jenkins, prosecuting, said that in order to prove murder the Crown needed evidence of an intent to cause grievous bodily harm or intention to kill.

Radnedge's barrister Icah Peart said the fire was started recklessly rather than deliberately.

He said Radnedge lit some paper to see what he was doing as he burgled the darkened shop during the night-time burglary.

Mr Jenkins said the prosecution did not accept that version of events but could not contradict it.

The fire had been spotted at 3.30am on February 15 by a passing policeman who raised the alarm.

Five people were asleep in the flat above the shop at the time and while one jumped from a first floor window, two others were helped on to a flat roof by firefighters.

Mr Ahmed was rescued but his heart stopped beating.

He was revived by paramedics and taken to the Bristol Royal Infirmary. Two days later he died from respiratory problems and cardiac arrest because of exposure to smoke.

His daughter was transferred to a specialist hospital in Great Yarmouth where she was initially diagnosed as critically ill.

During the sentence the court heard Radnedge had penned a letter to his victim's family in which he said: "Sometimes saying sorry is not enough. I'm sure this is that time.

"I don't think I will ever be forgiven, that is out of the question.

"I don't want for a moment to add to your pain. I should like you to know there's not a moment I don't feel your pain. Because of my actions things will never be the same. I remember being sick to my stomach when I found out there had been a fire."

But Mr Ahmed's brother Rashid Sayeed said he was unhappy with the sentence, and believes the burglar should have been jailed for longer.

He said: "I'm not happy at all. We were expecting at least ten years."

He said the family had not received the letter.

Mr Sayeed told the Post: "I think what he wrote is absolute rubbish, bullshit.

"I don't accept one word. He just wrote out what he's been told to, he had no heart

"He had been living in that area for a long time, there was clothes hanging out the window and a car outside and I don't accept he didn't know anyone was in the flat above. I think he set the fire to cover his tracks."

Mr Sayeed said his niece was still seeing her GP for the injuries she sustained.

He said the shop has now re-opened following a complete refurbishment.

More than 100 people gathered at Easton Mosque for Nasir Ahmed's funeral, where community leaders joined family and friends in paying their last respects.