A man who fled to Bangladesh after taking part in a Birmingham fire-bombing, which claimed the life of a young girl, has been jailed for eleven-and-a-half years.

Jabed Ali, who pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of six-year-old Alisha Begum on Tuesday, was arrested in April after spending more than four years as a fugitive.

Birmingham Crown Court heard that the 27-year-old car body worker's fingerprints were found on a bottle of petrol at the scene of the arson attack in March 2006.

Alisha, who was sleeping upstairs, died of toxic shock after being trapped in her home in Bayswater Road, Perry Barr, although other family members escaped with relatively minor injuries.

Ali, formerly of Stamford Road, Aston, is the second man to be jailed for taking part in the attack, although its alleged instigator is still at large.

Judge William Davis, QC, was told that the motive for the arson was anger at a "clandestine" relationship between one of Alisha's brothers and the sister of a man who is still being sought.

Passing sentence, Judge Davis told Ali: "You barely knew those who were taking revenge on that family and yet you joined in with an enterprise in which you knew that bottles of petrol were to be used to fire-bomb a house.

"You, for no reason at all, joined in that wicked plan."

Agreeing with an appeal court ruling that the fire and its consequences were truly horrific, Judge Davis added: "You were an adult at the time, quite capable of walking away.

"By leaving the country and remaining out of the jurisdiction for those four years, you contributed to the ongoing anguish of those involved in this case."

Earlier, prosecutor Mark Wall, QC, told the court that mobile phone analysis, as well as fingerprint evidence, had linked Ali to the fire-bombing, said Mr Wall, who told the court how men dressed in dark clothing forced their way into Alisha's home.

Defence barrister Mukhtar Hussain said his client bitterly regretted his involvement in the child's death.

Ali did not know the deceased's family at all, the QC said, and had only met the man who is still at large through his work repairing cars.

Another man, Daryll Tuzzio, of Perry Barr, was sentenced to eight years in a young offenders’ institution after being convicted of Alisha’s manslaughter and arson with intent to endanger life.

The court heard during his trail the firebombing was aimed to terrorise Alisha’s older brother, Abdul Hamid, who had formed a relationship with a 16-year-old girl, which her family disapproved of.

Superintendent Keith Wilson, who led the investigation into the fire, said: "This was a most horrific crime, whereby a six-year-old child lost her life and a family lost a daughter and sister."

Mr Wilson, of West Midlands Police, continued: "I hope today Alisha's family can glean some small comfort by the fact Mr Ali will be spending a considerable period in prison.

"There is still one outstanding offender in this case and this case will not close until he is brought to justice. Our thoughts and prayers remain with Alisha and her family."