A neighbour of murdered teenager Kylee Dibble heard raised voices from her flat shortly before she was found dead there, a jury heard.

Leila Osman told Bristol Crown Court that in February 2005 she lived directly opposite 18-year-old Kylee on the fourth floor of Corbett House council flats in Barton Hill, Bristol.

She said after being woken up by music from Kylee's flat at around 5.30am, she heard Kylee speaking to a man in the corridor around 6am-6.30am before hearing noises from inside her flat and then the sound of someone leaving around 7am-7.30am.

An hour later, firefighters alerted to reports of smoke smashed their way into Kylee's flat and found her charred remains on the floor of the smoke-logged lounge.

It is alleged 24-year-old Nicky Robinson, also known as Nixon, visited Kylee early that morning and after an argument – possibly over getting money for drugs – battered her over the head and set fire to her body to cover his tracks.

Robinson, who was living at the flats with his cousin at the time, denies murder.

Speaking with the aid of a Somali interpreter, Mrs Osman told Bristol Crown Court on that Monday morning she was woken by music from Kylee's flat and then heard Kylee speaking to a man in the corridor.

She said: "They were arguing with loud voices. That was before they went into Kylee's flat.

"Then I heard the door to Kylee's flat shut and the arguing went on for not much more than two minutes."

Mrs Osman said later she heard an unusual sound from Kylee's flat. She told the court: "I heard a noise like a smash, a heavy object being hit against a wall.

"I then heard somebody leaving Kylee's flat.

"I heard somebody open the door and close the door behind and then leave."

Mrs Osman next remembered leaving her flat and seeing smoke in the corridor.

She said when she went outside she saw the caretaker arriving.

Patrick Thomas told the jury he worked as a council caretaker at the time and saw smoke rising from a fourth floor window at Corbett House and alerted colleagues.

He told how he went to the flat to see if anyone was in there and saw a Somalian man and woman outside.

He told the court: "I tried the handle to the flat but it was locked.

"I went downstairs and waited for the fire brigade."

The jury was told Temple fire station was alerted at 8.35am and three fire engines arrived at 8.41am.

When firefighters looked through Kylee's letterbox, they saw thick, black smoke and used a sledge hammer to smash their way in.

The court heard, on their knees and in zero visibility, firefighters first checked the bedroom but then went back for a hose, powerful torch and thermal imaging camera.

Having established no one was in the bedroom they went on their knees to the lounge, where they found a TV set on its side as though it had been knocked over.

They found Kylee's body between a rolled-up carpet and the wall. They called the police.

Firefighters reported it looked like someone had made a mini bonfire in the room, the court was told.

Jay Garney said Kylee had allowed him and his friends to use the flat for rap practice on her stereo the day before.

He told the court Kylee had told him her ex-boyfriend had beaten her up three times and on the last occasion he had broken her cheek bone.

The case continues at Bristol Crown Court.