DARREN SMITH CAUSES HAVOC IN BIDEFORD WITH FIRE AND TERROR CAMPAIGN AGAINST EX-PARTNER

In a shocking series of events that unfolded in Bideford, Darren Smith, a 40-year-old man from Honestone Street, orchestrated a malicious plot aimed at his former partner and her children. His actions culminated in a devastating house fire and a relentless harassment campaign designed to manipulate and terrify his ex and her family.

Smith’s motives appeared rooted in a desperate attempt to rekindle their broken relationship. Learning that she had started dating someone new, he devised an elaborate scheme to make her believe they were both under threat from a fictitious gang of attackers. His goal was to evoke sympathy or fear, hoping she would return to him out of a sense of protection or guilt.

Over a period of days, Smith carried out a series of malicious acts that left his ex-partner and her three children in a state of constant fear. He deliberately slashed the tires of her car, and while she and her children were watching the popular children’s show Peppa Pig, he threw a rock through a window of her home. To escalate the intimidation, he sent her terrifying death threats, falsely claiming they originated from the supposed jealous partner of the man she was seeing.

In addition to these acts, Smith falsely claimed to have been followed and attacked by men wearing balaclavas. The culmination of his efforts was the arson attack on their flat located above the Quaker Meeting Room in Honestone Street, Bideford. The fire was deliberately set, trapping Smith himself and a young girl, believed to be his ex-partner’s daughter, inside the building.

Fortunately, the girl was rescued by members of a local choir who happened to be passing by on their way to a nearby pub. One of the choir members drove their Range Rover onto the pavement outside the building and climbed onto the roof to rescue the girl and her pet tortoise through a first-floor window. The incident highlighted the dangerous lengths Smith was willing to go to in his misguided attempt to manipulate his ex into reuniting with him.

Following the fire, Smith sent a fake death threat via text message, stating: “Did you enjoy your night? Your ex (Smith) has one week to live, then we are coming for your son before we come for you. Enjoy time with your ex before its too late. This is for cheating with my partner. Payback. Bitch.” This message was part of his broader campaign of harassment and intimidation.

Smith’s actions did not go unnoticed by authorities. He was charged with multiple offenses, including arson, harassment, and making threats to kill. During his court appearance at Exeter Crown Court, Judge David Evans sentenced him to five years and five months in prison. The judge also issued a restraining order, prohibiting Smith from making any further contact with his ex-partner and from returning to the area near Winkleigh where she resides.

In court, the judge emphasized the manipulative nature of Smith’s actions, stating, “You were trying to scare the victim into allowing you back in her life, something you wanted and she did not. You were using these fabricated incidents in an attempt to manipulate her attitude towards you. The threat that was sent to her revealed clearly your motivation in wanting her to spend more time with you out of sympathy or fear for her safety.”

Prosecutor Miss Kelly Scrivener explained that Smith and the victim had an on-and-off relationship spanning four and a half years, though they never cohabited. Their relationship ended in April of the current year, shortly after Smith discovered she had gone on a first date with another man. In his twisted attempt to retaliate, Smith impersonated the man’s outraged wife during a 12-day hate campaign, which included false claims of being assaulted by masked assailants. Police became suspicious when injuries Smith claimed to have sustained appeared superficial, and a doctor later confirmed they were self-inflicted.

On the night of the fire, Smith warned neighbors to watch out for suspicious strangers, and later that evening, he was heard shouting for help. Despite his claims of being attacked by intruders, CCTV footage showed no one near his home at the time, although footage did reveal him purchasing a can of petrol earlier that day. DNA evidence was recovered from a glove found near the burnt petrol can, linking him directly to the arson. The fire caused approximately £100,000 in damages.

In the days leading up to the fire, Smith’s harassment intensified. His ex-partner was so frightened that she blocked her letterbox and front door. Four days after the fire, he threw a large rock through a double-glazed kitchen window, causing her and her children to barricade themselves in the bedroom until police arrived. The following morning, she received a death threat via text message from an unregistered phone, which police later traced back to Smith, who was seen topping up the phone at a local shop in Bideford.

In her victim impact statement, the woman expressed her fear and distress, stating she believed all the threats and had no idea they were coming from Smith. Her children, deeply affected by the events, insisted on sleeping with her for weeks afterward, underscoring the profound psychological impact of his actions. Smith’s malicious campaign of terror in Bideford has left a lasting scar on the community and serves as a stark reminder of the destructive potential of manipulative and violent behavior.