A FAILED asylum seeker may have turned himself into a human fireball as he feared he would be held responsible for his cousin's murder if he was deported back to Iraq.

Abdullah Ahmed Maroof, 30, doused himself in petrol, before lighting it, while driving along the A19 on the edge of Norton, Stockton, an inquest in Middlesbrough heard.

Six years earlier, in December 2000, his cousin Mohammed Ali was stabbed to death in front of town centre shoppers.

Having failed in his bid to stay in Britain, Mr Maroof was haunted by fears of retaliation for the murder should he be deported back to Iraq.

Even though 28-year-old fellow Kurd refugee Ali Mahmud is serving life imprisonment for the murder, which happened in the middle of Middlesbrough's crowded Cleveland Shopping Centre, Mr Maroof feared he would be held responsible.

Mr Maroof's wife, Jane Parkes, told the inquest: "He still felt responsible and guilty for his cousin's murder. He thought that on his return he would be blamed and called to account for not protecting him more.''

Maroof texted Miss Parkes and her mother, Pauline Black, to say he was going to kill himself, moments before he took swigs of petrol from a can and poured the rest over himself, setting himself on fire as he drove through Teesside last October.

Motorist Tristan Alltimes told the inquest: "I saw him resting his right arm on the steering wheel, looking at the phone screen and moving his thumbs.''

He then saw a car driving erratically, not realising it was Maroof's car.

"I saw it swerve, then, almost immediately, the vehicle seemed to light up from inside the car. It then burst into flames and the flames were coming out of the windows.''

Coroner Michael Sheffield said: "I am satisfied that the actions he took - and strange actions they were - were intended to end his life.

"They were strange actions which he carried out, actions which could have endangered the lives of other road users."

Ms Parkes went through a Muslim marriage ceremony with Mr Maroof months before her husband killed himself. She said: "I realised it might help Abdullah with his status, but this was not the only reason.''

She said the two lived as brother and sister, although her husband wanted something more from their marriage.

She added: "He seemed convinced he had some terrible illness. I believe he had been mentally ill and this affected the way he saw things.''

Mr Sheffield ruled that Mr Maroof killed himself.