Man set fire to ex-partner’s house by pouring petrol through letterbox while she slept
Man furnishing his ex-partner’s house on fire pouring gasoline The person who went through the mailbox at night and set it on fire was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Nicholas Martin, 63, was found guilty of attempted murder and assault occasioning actual bodily harm by a court in Manchester in September and was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Monday after waging a years-long “campaign of harassment” against the woman.
Martin carried out the attack on the house in Worsley. salfordAround 5.10am on October 22, 2024, when he knew his ex-partner was going to sleep.
Accordingly Greater Manchester PoliceHe booked a nearby hotel and waited until the early hours of the morning to carry out the attack.
The victim first woke up to the sound of the mailbox closing and then heard a crackling sound. A short time later, the woman realized that her house was on fire and jumped from her bedroom window. He suffered two broken ankles and a fractured vertebra in his fall from a first-floor window.
Martin had been in a relationship with the woman since 2019. The court heard the man became increasingly controlling, monitoring the woman’s movements, preventing her from seeing family members and criticizing her constantly.
Investigators at Salford Criminal Investigation Department said Martin set up home cameras to monitor and control the woman, including what she could eat, wear and watch on television.
At the time of the offense Martin was already on bail for a previous attack on the victim and conditions were in place for him not to have contact with her and to reside in Leicester. But he left his bail address, rented a car and drove to Worsley.
Martin was arrested the next day at a hotel in the Lake District, and police found a jerrycan containing petrol in the wardrobe of his hotel room.
He did not make any comments in his statement to the police and later denied the accusations. Although he later admitted to causing the fire, he said he had no intention of killing the woman.
The victim’s pet cat perished in the fire.
In a powerful victim impact statement read out in court, the victim said: “Martin’s disgusting and monstrous actions have completely devastated and destroyed my life, through his abuse of me during our relationship and his continued and disgusting escalation of abuse of me after our relationship ended, and by being arrested, charged with domestic abuse offenses and released on bail.
“Martin irrevocably changed the lives of my family members, and I will forever be filled with guilt for bringing such a dangerous and destructive man into our lives, for how close my son and daughter came to killing their mother, and for how close they came to killing my mother’s only child.”
Speaking about the previous assault charge, the victim said: “After contacting the police in September 2024, I was incredibly relieved when Martin was charged with assaulting me in 2021 and I was informed that his bail conditions meant he was not allowed to contact me in any way. “As we approached Martin’s scheduled trial date in October 2024, I was beginning to look to my future.
“I described in court the absolute horror I felt when I realized my house had been set on fire. I am still often consumed by the same feelings of fear, experiencing flashbacks, harrowing memories and nightmares about the fire and its aftermath.”
“The worst part of having my belongings destroyed is the loss of irreplaceable items like family photos, mementos from my late father and grandparents,” he added.
“I experienced extreme trauma and pain, knowing that my home was destroyed following the murder attempt, and I was unable to carry my familiar belongings with me.”
She said she, her mother, her son and daughter also “needed trauma therapy sessions following Martin’s actions.”
Detective Constable Zoe Bellis, of Salford CID, said: “Martin embarked on a campaign of harassment against his victim that lasted several years. His latest act nearly resulted in the death of a woman and I am grateful for today’s sentencing outcome which puts this vile individual behind bars and away from harming other victims.
“I want to express my sincerest gratitude to the victim for her unwavering support throughout the investigation. Her strength helped us build the strongest possible case against her abuser and ensure he was held accountable.”
He added: “I hope today’s outcome marks the beginning of his journey to healing, with assurance that justice has been served for the manipulative and horrific acts committed against him.”
