She accused another woman, who was at the house, of sleeping with her ex
Lynda Stimson appeared at Hull Crown Court(Image: Hull Live)
A heavy-drinking woman launched a vindictive “revenge attack” against another woman by starting what could have been a potentially highly dangerous fire at a house. Mean-minded troublemaker Lynda Stimson turned up outside the house at about midnight and set fire to a leaflet before shoving it through the letter box, a court heard.
Stimson, 40, of Kingston View, Barton-upon-Humber, admitted an offence of arson at Hull on June 11, 2024. She pleaded guilty on the day of a scheduled trial. A charge of arson with intent to endanger life was dropped.
Benjamin Donnell, prosecuting, told Hull Crown Court that a man and a woman were in the front sitting room of his home at about midnight. They heard a bang on the window and she opened the curtain to find Stimson banging on the window with cans of beer in her hand.
Stimson was screaming at the woman over claims that the woman had slept with Stimson’s ex-boyfriend. The woman apparently accepted these claims.
Stimson continued to hurl abuse at the woman and made a comment about a jerry can and that she was “going to torch the house”. The couple did not, however, see a jerry can and no accelerant was used in the incident.
The man smelled burning and went to investigate the front door of the house. “There he saw a charred leaflet, which had been posted through the door,” said Mr Donnell.
“No permanent damage was done to the letter box. There was no damage to the inside of the front door. The police were called.” Stimson was arrested at her home.
She denied any involvement in the offending. The man was left scared for himself and the woman. Stimson had convictions for three previous offences, including assaulting an emergency worker and resisting a constable.
Hannah Turner, mitigating, said that Stimson had been drinking and she had suffered problems but this was no excuse for her behaviour. “She was acting in a way that was utterly out of character for her,” said Miss Turner.
“There is no evidence that any accelerant was used or anything of the sort.” The burning leaflet had already extinguished itself before the man reached it.
Stimson was a low risk of reoffending. “She has drastically reduced and almost eradicated her alcohol use,” said Miss Turner.
Judge John Thackray KC told Stimson: “There was a history to what you did but that in no way justifies or excuses what you did.” The couple were at home and were no doubt relaxing at a place where they were entitled to feel safe and secure.
“They were alerted to you banging on the window, being abusive and making threats to torch the house with a jerry can,” said Judge Thackray.
“They must have been terrified. You set fire to a leaflet and you pushed it through the letter box.
“Even fires without accelerants can quickly take hold and, before you know it, members of the public are at risk of serious harm, if not fatalities, not to mention the emergency services having to come to deal with such incidents. It was a revenge attack.”
Stimson was given a two-year suspended prison sentence, a 120-day alcohol monitoring order and 20 days’ rehabilitation. She was given a five-year restraining order.
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