A WOMAN who was allegedly ill-treated by her ex-husband started a fire at home.

Caroline Quinn, 35, set a mattress alight, making sure all the children were out of the house, but left her ex-husband inside, Preston Crown Court heard.

She was given a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, with a supervision order attached.

Quinn, of Pringle Street, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to arson and being reckless as to whether life would be endangered. The offence occurred on October 30 last year.

John McClure, prosecuting, said the fire was started at a two-bedroom terrace home in Sussex Drive, Blackburn. A double mattress was found alight in an upstairs bedroom.

John Quinn tried to put it out with a bucket of water, but failed. He was found in the kitchen with his 14-year-old son.

Ten-year-old Emma Quinn was sent outside the house and said that the fire had been started by the mother.

Caroline Quinn was very upset and crying when found in a nearby alleyway off Dundee Drive.

Two years earlier she and John Quinn had divorced, but he later came back.

She told police he had been insulting, abusive and aggressive towards her that evening while they were with friends.

Arthur Stuttard, defending, said the marriage had been unhappy, virtually from the start. He claimed Mr Quinn had ill-treated her psychologically and physically and many court proceedings resulted.

Judge Edward Slinger accepted that the woman was not thinking straight at the time.

But he added: "That house could easily have caught on fire and spread to the other house."

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