‘Spiteful’ joiner burnt all of ex’s clothes in fit of jealous rage

A MAN set fire to all his ex-partner’s clothes and then sent her a photo of the blaze.

Derby Crown Court heard Shaun Crossley’s message to the victim read: “You think you can mug me off like that? Well you can’t, this is all your s*** getting burned”.

The 32-year-old joiner, of Ilkeston, also went through ugh her home smashing two television levision sets. Now he needs eeds to stay out of trouuble for two years or risk being sent to prison.

Ha n d i n g him a sixmonth jail term, suspended for two years, Recorder r Adrian Reynolds lds said: “The prosecusecution describe your ur behaviour as spiteful and that was the word I would also use.

“What a spiteful thing to do, to take her property outside and burn it.

“It is an absolutely incredible thing to do, it was a mean offence (carried out) while you were in a highly emotional state and you behaved in a pretty spiteful way by destroying her property.”

Katrina Wilson, prosecuting, said Crossley and the victim had been in a relationship for two years, but that ended some time before New year’s Eve last year.

She said the woman had allowed the defendant to stay on at her property while he sorted alternative accommodation out.

Miss Wilson said the pair went to a local pub on New Year’s Eve, but she “snuck out” and went to meet a friend at a pub Crossley was barred from.

She said: “She then went to that friend’s address and at around 1.30am on New Year’s Day, the defendant turned up and started banging loudly at the door.

“They ignored him and he left, but around an hour-and-a-half later, she received a WhatsApp message with a photo saying ‘you think you can mug me off like that? Well you can’t, this is all your s*** getting burned’.”

Miss Wilso Wilson said Crossley telephoned the th police himself saying he wa was going to take his own life a and officers went to the ad address at around 3.30am.

She said: “The officers noticed there was a lot of smoke in the hallway which was coming in from the garden.

“He (the defendant) sa said he had burned everythin thing and the officers went to the back garden where the fire had began to spread to a children’s pl play house.

“The officers were able to extinguish it and called for an ambulance because of concerns about the defendant’s mental state.”

Miss Wilson said as well as the clothes, the victim’s passport, birth certificate and other personal documents were destroyed in the blaze.

Crossley, of Mill Street, later pleaded guilty to arson and criminal damage.

Representing himself he said he has worked as a joiner for a firm called Cabin Master for the past six years.

Miss Wilson said the victim had declined to make an impact statement, has not told the police the value of the damage and has not sought a restraining order.

Despite not knowing the value, Recorder Reynolds also ordered Crossley to pay her £1,000 compensation.

What a spiteful thing to do, to take her property outside and burn it.

Recorder Adrian Reynolds