House fire rally driver is locked up

Andrew Sankey had claimed the fire was a suicide attempt, but a judge a Shrewsbury Crown Court read out a statement by his ex-wife who described it as "revenge for not taking him back".

Sankey, a member of the Ludlow Castle Motor Club, had used a stolen can of petrol to start fires in four locations at the family home in Ludlow on September 30 last year, the court was told.

As the house filled with smoke the 51-year-old was seen shouting from an upstairs window that he wanted to kill himself.

But he escaped the blaze by climbing onto the roof of the house's garage, where he was rescued by neighbours carrying a ladder.

The intensity of the blaze caused fire fighters to believe there was a risk of explosions and that the building could collapse, the court was told. The damage was placed at between £60,000-£80,000.

In a victim statement read out in court, Sankey's wife said the arson had "caused her world to fall apart".

"The entire inside of my house has been destroyed," she said, adding that as part of the house had been refurbished using inheritance money, the arson had also "destroyed the memory of my father".

Prosecuting, Michael Grey said the fire stemmed from a breakdown in Sankey's 29-year marriage after his wife left him.

Mr Grey said Sankey had previously threatened to kill himself just over three weeks before the arson, sending a text to his wife that read: 'Bye, I love you so much'.

On being discovered by his wife with a cord around his neck he then made gestures to stab himself but stopped.

The court was told that on the day of the fire Sankey had driven to the Craven Arms where his wife and daughter were then living, and had kicked and damaged the panels of his daughter's car.

He then filled up a can of petrol at a garage and drove off without paying, using the fuel to start several fires in the home after leaving a set of chairs, money and cigarettes on the lawn outside.

Mr Andrew Holland, for Sankey, said he had left the objects on the lawn because they were valuable and could have been used in the event of his death.

Mr Holland said that Sankey, of Ballard Close, Ludlow, was a man of no previous convictions, and was deeply remorseful for what he had done. "It's a salutary lesson for him," he said.

Sankey appeared tearful and emotional during the sentencing. He had previously pleaded guilty to two charges of arson, one charge of making off without payment and one charge of criminal damage

Recorder Denis Desmond said he had read all 26 character references that he had received for Sankey, many of which had come from friends in the rally driving community, which described him as trustworthy, reliable, honest and generous.

He rejected the idea that the arson had been a suicide bid, saying that it seemed more likely that he intended to collect the items on the lawn afterwards.

Recorder Desmond said Sankey's wife "believes that you set fire to the house as a revenge for her not taking you back, in other words, out of spite.

"This was not a spur of the moment action, or impulsive mistake. This was a planned arson," he added.