A HEARTBROKEN man who set fire to his former partner's home was shown mercy by a judge on Friday, July 12.

Stephen Furlong started the blaze inside the mid-terrace house after learning that his ex had started a relationship with his best friend.

The £20,000 fire, started with petrol, took hold so quickly that he was trapped inside the house in Bridger Close, Watford, and had to escape across a rooftop, said Maurice Aston, prosecuting as Luton Crown Court.

Furlong, 43, of Weall Green, Garston, pleaded guilty to arson. Judge Anthony Ansell told him the usual sentence would be custody.

But he said: "I am taking an exceptional course, I don't want people thinking the courts are going soft but in your case there are good reasons for not imposing an immediate custodial sentence.

"Your life had gone off track and then you discovered that the home you had built up with your partner and children had become someone else's home.

"That is not justification, but that evening you just snapped."

Furlong, a ventilation engineer was put on a two year community rehabilitation order and ordered to pay £10,000 compensation to Watford Council.

Barry Kogan, defending, said Furlong had been with his ex partner for 17 years and they had two children. But six weeks before the fire, he agreed to move out.

He said: "These were the unhappiest six weeks of his life. He learned his ex had secretly developed an affection for another man, and he happened to be one of his best friends.

"He is extremely ashamed of what he did and wishes to publicly apologise to his family, the neighbours and the fire crew."

Mr Aston, prosecuting, said Furlong had gone to the house on October 5, 2001, when he knew everyone would be out.

When he was arrested police found a pair of scorched shoes at his home, but he did not make any admissions at the time.

July 16, 2002 16:30