2017: HEREFORD MAN WHO SET FIRE TO DOOR OF PARTNER'S FLAT IS JAILED
A HEREFORD man has been jailed after he set fire to the door of his partner’s flat using lighter fluid, forcing her to flee in terror through a window.Janusz Sudara admitted arson on a reckless basis following the attack on the home of then partner, Renata Kret, in Eign Street, Hereford.
The 40-year-old, of Whitecross Road, Hereford, appeared before judge Robert Juckes at Worcester Crown Court to be sentenced last Thursday for the arson attack on August 27 last year.
Giles Nelson, prosecuting, said Sudara and Miss Kret were in a volatile relationship made worse by the defendant’s alcohol issues and financial difficulties.
Mr Nelson explained that when the fire service arrived, they saw the fire had been extinguished and that an uncapped bottle of lighter fluid with the defendant’s DNA was outside her door.
A newspaper soaked in lighter fluid was placed at the base of the door, and the fire spread over the threshold but was extinguished before causing significant damage.
Miss Kret was distressed, having seen her door on fire and tried to put it out with cups of water before fleeing through the window onto the roof.
Text messages sent by Sudara prior to the attack indicated threats and warnings, with one reading: “Your house will be burning in one hour.
You really make me angry.” Sudara was arrested the following morning, and CCTV footage showed him leaving her address shortly before the fire brigade was called.
Her flat was part of a complex with keypad access.
Sudara had also previously assaulted Miss Kret on August 8, 2015, punching her and kicking her after she received a text from an ex-partner, causing minor injuries.
He was fined at magistrates court for that assault.
Defending, Michael Hall mentioned Sudara's hard work before losing his job, which contributed to his troubled state.
Judge Juckes noted the quick reaction of Miss Kret in preventing more extensive damage and emphasized the seriousness of arson due to its rapid spread.
Sudara was sentenced to two years and three months in prison, with full credit for his early guilty plea.
An indefinite restraining order was also issued to prevent further contact with Miss Kret.
