A MAN in despair at the break-up of a relationship started a fire which badly damaged his rented house.

Durham Crown Court heard that Kamil Krupa turned to drink in the months after splitting with his former partner of 18 months.

He twice breached the terms of a court-imposed restraining order by sending her text messages, the second of which spelled out how much he missed her, in May.

But on the night of June 15 he piled items of furniture in the kitchen of his home in Teasdale Terrace, Gilesgate, Durham, and used a paper taper to set them alight.

Chris Baker, prosecuting, said he was seen watching from an alleyway and a road nearby as smoke began to billow from the property and neighbours evacuated their adjoining homes, including a young boy in his underwear.

Mr Baker said Krupa was still in the vicinity when firefighters arrived, but fled when police vehicles appeared.

He was pursued and arrested a short distance away, in the street where his ex-partner was living, in further breach of the restraining order.

Mr Baker said the fire brigade put out the blaze, but it caused up to £50,000-worth of damage, described by the landlord as his, “worst nightmare.”

He also expressed concern and sympathy for those families living either side of the defendant.

Although the fire was extinguished before spreading to neighbouring properties, Krupa’s actions were said to have potentially put those tenants at risk.

Thirty-year-old Krupa, who has been in custody since the night of the incident, admitted arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered and three counts of breaching a restraining order.

Ian West, mitigating, said medical and background reports drawn up for the court said Krupa has no psychiatric history and was not considered a risk of posing further danger to the public.

“This was a particular set of circumstances, and I would suggest Mr Krupa does not present a general danger to the public.

“During his time in this country he has been a hard working man.

“He turned to drink after the breakdown of his relationship, causing his life to unravel.”

Judge Christopher Prince told Krupa: “The fire caused between £40,000 and £50,000 damage and caused your neighbours to be evacuated, including a six-year-old boy.

“Later, when you were arrested, you were difficult and abusive with the police.”

Jailing him for two years and eight months, he said the sentence would have been 40 months had Krupa not made the early ‘guilty’ pleas.