Man tried to kill his ex by pouring petrol through her front door in arson attack

Gary Griffiths is accused of pouring the fuel through the letterbox of Tracey Powell's home in Bloxwich Road after she spurned his efforts to win her back with flowers and a card the previous day.

Mr Nicholas Cartwright, prosecuting, told a trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court that the 44-year-old used a cigarette and a lighter to start the fire and that he was captured at the scene on nearby closed circuit security cameras.

Miss Powell, a teacher in Wolverhampton, was rescued from the property by the emergency services after she dialled 999 in the early hours of March 4 this year.

Giving evidence she told a jury that she had broke up with Griffiths, of Proffitt Close, Brownhills, in the new year after a two-month relationship, but they had remained in touch.

"He wasn't that happy and said he was annoyed about the fact that we were not seeing each other."

She said on the morning of the incident she was woken up a call on her work and private mobile phones shortly before the fire broke out. But ignored them when she recognised the defendant's number.

She said she was then sent a text message by him that stated, 'Goodbye Tracey', that she should take her pet dog 'Becks' with her to work and that 'the fire starters are going to burn down' the street.

"I was shocked and thought it was a bit aggressive. Literally as I read it I realised something was going on outside. I heard a noise like a clunk or like something shutting.

"I looked outside and I saw something like hazard lights. Instinctively I opened the window and I saw him and saw flames from the footpath below the window. The flames were at the front door.

"I asked him, 'what are you doing?'

"He said, 'I told you not to upset me. There was a lot of thick black smoke at the time. I called 999. I could smell smoke and burning and the petrol smell was really strong," Miss Powell told the jury.

When the firefighters arrived at the scene they found the white front door on fire which was left scorched and blackened as a result. The inside of the house suffered from smoke damage.

Griffiths denies attempted murder and arson with intent to endanger life. He has admitted a further charge of arson being reckless as to whether life is endangered.