Hartlepool woman set fire to her home after drinking binge

A woman who moved to Hartlepool for a fresh start ended up setting fire to her home with her partner upstairs, a court heard.
The case was heard at Teesside Crown Court. The case was heard at Teesside Crown Court.
The case was heard at Teesside Crown Court.

Katie Page set the settee alight in the front room of her Furness Street home and then the bathroom.

The 33-year-old appeared before Teesside Crown Court for sentencing after pleading guilty to a charge of arson and a charge to arson being reckless as to her partner’s life being endangered.

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Harry Hadfield, prosecuting, said Page had a long-standing problem with alcohol and she moved from Devon to Hartlepool, with her partner, Darren Brimham, in March this year in a bid for a fresh start.

He said: “Mr Brimham believed the defendant was an alcoholic.

“They had a good life together, but she would often go too far with her drinking.”

In September the pair were at home and started drinking whiskey and coke at around 7pm and Page started to become argumentative.

So at around 2am Mr Brimham went to bed out of her way.

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Mr Hadfield said: “He had been upstairs for approximately five minutes when he smelled a strong smell of smoke.

“The defendant shouted upstairs that the front room was on fire, Mr Brimham ran downstairs. He could see the smoke coming under the door.”

He said the defendant opened the door and he could see the couch was on fire. He ran into the kitchen to get water to put the flames out and Page called the fire brigade.

Fire officers attended to check the fire was out and once they left Page locked herself in the bathroom.

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Mr Hadfield said: “Mr Brimham began to smell smoke again and he could see if coming from under the bathroom door.”

Again, Mr Brimham managed to put the fire out.

Anthony Dunn, defending, said: “There is very little rational explanation for the events that happened.

“She was at that time at the peak of what has been a devastating addiction to alcohol that has featured throughout her life.”

Page was sentenced to 24 months in prison, suspended for 24 months, and given a 12-month alcohol rehabilitation order.