A MAN has been jailed for four years for starting a blaze at his home in a fit of "drunken anguish" after falling out with his girlfriend.

Both Phillip Jones and the young woman, Lisa Trivett, managed to escape from the house in Grey Willow Gardens, Ashford, as the fire, which caused thousands of pounds worth of damage, took hold.

Sentencing Jones, 25, at Maidstone Crown Court on Monday, Judge Michael Neligan told him: "It is your good fortune that no-one was killed or injured."

He added that, taking into consideration the defendant's good character and guilty plea, this was the very least sentence he could impose.

Ian Foinette, prosecuting, said Jones had been in a relationship for some time, with Sarah Hollier, and the two had bought the house in joint names, but they had split up in March and he had started seeing Lisa Trivett, who he had known for about a year.

On April 12, said Mr Foinette, Miss Trivett and Jones met up for a drink, but there was some tension between them and when they eventually ended up back at the house, he was behaving strangely.

He was concerned she had been speaking to an old friend of hers.

He punched a wall, making a hole in it. He began picking up items and throwing them, and he smashed the patio doors.

To calm him down they went out for a walk.

Back inside the house she telephoned a friend asking to be collected because she had been drinking.

"That set him off again, it seems," said Mr Foinette. "He was bitten by a dog that was in the house. He was saying things like: 'I'm going to set fire to your car'."

She saw him outside, pouring fuel over the car. He then came in and fuel ended up over the floor in the lounge and he produced a lighter from his pocket.

She managed to grab the lighter, but he returned to the living room and she became aware of flames and an intense heat. Jones managed to run out through the broken patio doors while she went out the main door.

The fire did a considerable amount of damage to fixtures and fittings and the court was told the defendant’s dog had died during the blaze.

Jones was found sitting in a car nearby and was arrested. After being cautioned he said: "Everything's a mess."

Tony Badenoch, defending, said Jones had never been in trouble before.

He said: "He has pleaded guilty; he has had the courage to do so on the very first occasion. There is genuine remorse.

"It was indeed a reckless act, it was done in drink and out of a genuine misplaced affection for his then girlfriend, Lisa Trivett. There was an argument about fidelity, all misplaced.

"He started with the car, and in his drunken anguish he went on to commit this stupid act."

Jones, who admitted arson at an earlier hearing, had been hit very hard by what happened to his dog that night.