A MAN had to escape on to the roof after his partner set their house on fire and his exit was blocked by a blazing bed, Bradford Crown Court heard.

Edward Dale had barricaded himself into his room at the couple’s home in Hainsworth Moor Crescent, Queensbury, and had to get out of the window.

Kerry Miller, 58, who started the blaze outside his room with a lit firelighter pleaded guilty to arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

Miller, now of Heath Crescent, Halifax, had argued with Mr Dale on New Year’s Day last year, prosecutor Ayesha Smart said.

They were living together in a bungalow they had bought together when he said he wanted to end the relationship.

Miller had been drinking vodka and when Mr Dale went upstairs at 9.30pm he pulled the bed against the door to keep her out.

She kept coming up and banging on the door, Miss Smart said.

Then in the early hours she set fire to the door and it spread into the room forcing Mr Dale to escape on to the roof after he had called the emergency services.

A dressing gown had caught light and the bed was completely destroyed. The court heard that the mattress resembled a large pile of burned newspapers.

The damage, which burned through half the door, cost £3,000 to repair.

Jo Shepherd, Miller’s barrister, said in mitigation that she was suffering from anxiety and depression. She had no previous convictions and her mental disorder substantially reduced the responsibility for her actions.

She had shown remorse and taken steps to address her addiction to alcohol.

It was now 18 months since the offence and appearing before the courts had been a salutary lesson for a hardworking woman in full-time employment.

Judge Colin Burn said it was clear that the blaze was started by a lit firelighter outside Mr Dale’s room.

His bed was up against the door and he was extremely fortunate to get out because it was set on fire.

It had seemed impossible to spare Miller an immediate jail sentence but Mr Dale had pleaded for her not to be sent to prison even though it was an incident in which he could have lost his life.

Miller was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, with 20 re-habilitation activity requirement days and 180 hours of unpaid work.