Estranged wife set fire to her husband’s holiday home after he hid from her

Damage caused in the blaze cost £75,000

The front room of the holiday home was gutted by the fire (SWNS)

An estranged wife set light to her husband’s holiday home – after he barricaded himself into an upstairs room to get away from her.

Alexandra Page, 43, started wrecking the terraced house after unexpectedly turning up while her husband Frank was staying there, the court heard.

She became angry when he would not talk to her, and tore pages out of books in the living room before setting them alight on a sofa with lighter fluid, it was said.

Her husband heard the commotion downstairs, and barricaded himself in the attic as he rang her to ask what was happening, the judge was told.

Page, who has a history of mental illness, replied: “You’d better come downstairs because the house is about to be burned down.”

Mr Page escaped unhurt, rescuing Page as he fled the house.

Retained firefighters from the station just 250 yards away put out the blaze but the front room was gutted with damage costing £75,000, it was said.

Page, from Cotham Parkin Bristol, entered the Topsham house on 13 July after being treated in hospital for an overdose, Exeter Crown Court was told.

She admitted arson and was sent to a psychiatric unit under a hospital order by judge James Townsend.

She was suffering from a severe episode of a longstanding schizoid disorder when she started the fire, it was heard.

The judge said treatment was the best course for her and society and the most effective way to prevent any further offending.

Richard Crabb, prosecuting, told the court: “Something or other upset her and he heard banging, crashing and shouting from downstairs.

“He called her on her mobile phone and she said he’d better get downstairs because the house was about to burn down.

“She had lit a fire on a sofa using pages torn from a book and lighter fluid.

“It took hold and caused extensive damage.

“Fortunately Mr Page was able to escape and also rescued his wife, who could not get out because the door was locked.

“The fire brigade and police attended. The ballpark figure for damage to the building is £60,000 with another £15,000 for contents.

“She admitted at the scene she had started the fire and said she was angry and just wanted to get back at him.”

Peter Coombe, defending, said Page disputed using lighter fluid and said she had lit paper in the living room floor.

She had no previous convictions and the offence arose solely out of her mental turmoil, it was said.

Page and her husband are separated.

SWNS

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