A mother of 13, enraged at being woken at 5am, has been jailed after setting her ex-partner’s mattress alight and threatening to burn him.

Diane Hansen, 42, who had a long history of being in violent relationships, was given a head sentence of one year and seven months for arson.

The pair were still living in a Housing Trust home at Kilburn when they got into a fight on February 25, the District Court heard on Thursday.

When Hansen’s former boyfriend Vincenzo Genovese tried to evict her, she grabbed a large knife and threatened him. Mr Genovese ran behind a tree to avoid being stabbed.

Hansen, who was a carer to Mr Genovese, then grabbed a small petrol can and threatened to set him on fire, splashing fuel on his hands and chest.

After Mr Genovese rang police, Hansen said words to the effect of “Your house is burning, I’ve set fire to it. Bad luck” before leaving the scene.

Firefighters quickly contained the blaze but many belongings were unsalvageable.

Hansen, who was under the influence of methylamphetamine, was arrested nearby and admitted to the offending.

Judge Jane Schammer said Hansen, who was drug addicted, had been in relationships with men “who use drugs, were criminal recidivists and were violent” towards her.

The judge imposed a “lower than usual” non-parole period of two months and four days after Hansen was in custody for more than nine months.