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Woman who set fire to partner's HMO in Accrington jailed

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A woman caused more than £25,000 damage to a house when she set a mattress and blinds alight after her partner brought another woman home.

Hayley Parker, 31, damaged the house of multiple occupation property in Avenue Parade, Accrington, after her partner of around four weeks, Michael Adams, took the woman to his house.

Parker found out and attended the property, where she let herself in and started arguing with Mr Adams.

Graham Rishton, prosecuting at Burnley Crown Court, said Parker threw items out of the ground floor window of the property during the argument, including a TV.


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He told the court Parker armed herself with two knives and made threats to harm herself, and held them to her neck when police officers arrived.

Negotiations between Parker and the officers followed while the road was cordoned off, and police used shields and public order equipment.

Parker then set alight a mattress in one of the bedrooms and a set of blinds in another.

Three other people were inside the property at the time but managed to escape with no injuries.

The fire service arrived and pumped a jet of water through one of the windows to extinguish the fire, and used equipment to extract the smoke.

Hayley Parker (Image: Lancashire Police)

Mr Rishton said the damage totalled £27,657.

James Heyworth, in mitigation, said Parker had been using all the help available to her while on remand in prison, and that she is on the waiting list for the Recycling Lives programme and trauma counselling.

He said a “good package of support” would be available to Parker in prison should a custodial sentence be imposed.

He said: “She does need the help, she wants the help, and she will engage with it, and that will reduce the likelihood of any reoffending.

“Short of turning back time, she has done everything that can be reasonably expected of her.”

Judge Sara Dodd, sentencing, said Parker had made “enormous efforts” to address her issues, including alcohol and drug abuse which had been brought on by “significant trauma.”

She accepted that Parker was “sorry” and “ashamed,” and that she had spent her time in custody well by engaging in programmes.

Parker was sentenced to two years in prison. A restraining order of four years was imposed between her and Mr Adams.

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