Tragic mother who set herself on fire after repeatedly failing her driving test walked free from court after judge took pity on her

She admitted recklessly endangering lives of others by lighting the fire



Yamkala Sapkota failed driving test four times despite taking more than 90 lessons

High Court in Edinburgh heard failures led to frequent rows with husband



Sapkota suffered 12 per cent burns to her face and body

She was not suffering from any mental illness, psychiatric assessment said



A mother suffered 'horrendous' burns after setting herself on fire because she repeatedly failed her driving test, a court heard.



Yamkala Sapotka snapped when she learned she had not passed her test on the fourth attempt - despite having had more than 90 lessons, it was said.

Today she walked free from court having admitted recklessly endangering the lives of others after the judge took pity on her.

Free: A visibly scarred Yamkala Sapkota leaves court with her husband Yaduman, left, after a judge decided she should not be jailed for recklessly endangering others by setting herself on fire when she failed her driving test



T he High Court in Edinburgh heard that Mrs Sapotka felt her failures were putting a burden on her family's finances and led to frequent rows with her husband.



Judge Lord Bannatyne told her: 'I don’t believe there is any likelihood this will ever happen again.'

Sapkota suffered 12 per cent burns to her face, head, neck, shoulder, right arm and back and under went operations to graft skin.

She was psychiatrically assessed but was diagnosed as not suffering from any mental illness.



Defence advocate Sarah Livingstone suggested that the 31-year-old had already paid a price.

'She has been punished by the terrible injuries she suffered. She is still receiving treatment for them.'

Ms Livingstone said the scarring to Sapkota’s back was 'horrendous' and she had to wear a special suit. Doctors took the view that she will be permanently scarred.

When Sapkota appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh in August last year she admitted culpably and recklessly starting the fire, severely injuring herself and endangering the lives of others and property on June 28 2011.

Judge Lord Bannatyne deferred sentence to allow Sapkota to show she could stay out of trouble.

Trouble: Yamkala Sapotka failed her driving test four times despite having more than 90 lessons

As he admonished her today, the judge said it had been the right way to deal with the case.

The court heard that Sapkota had failed her driving test for the fourth time despite taking more than 90 lessons.

Her doomed efforts to get on the road had placed a burden on the family’s finances and led to rows with her husband.

Sapkota set herself alight after leaving a suicide note penned in her native Nepalese, saying she no longer wanted to live.

A neighbour was alerted and a 999 call brought firefighters to her flat in the Leith area of Edinburgh.

They used breathing apparatus managed to rescue the semi-conscious woman. She had suffered burns to her face, back and arms.

The court heard that the offence was wholly out of character.

Sapkota was a first offender and has had a clean record since the fire incident.

Defence counsel Sarah Livingstone said Sapkota was trying to harm herself and no one else.

Sapkota and her husband moved to Britain nine years and he was working as a chef at the time.

Advocate depute Stephen O’Rourke, prosecuting, said that on the day of the incident he had left for work.

Sapkota said her husband Yadumen had told her to 'die if you want' after another row about the driving lessons and she was very upset.

Mr O’Rourke said: 'The family’s financial circumstances were limited and it appears that the cost of the lessons were significant in that regard.'

After the alarm was raised by the 999 call police arrived and could see smoke coming from under the door of the flat. As officers evacuated the stair a constable managed to force open the door but, as he went into the hall, he was stopped from going any further by the heat.

Firefighters wearing breathing gear managed to reach Sapkota and she was taken out of the flat and paramedics gave her morphine and oxygen as she was taken to hospital.