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A disgruntled father torched a £250,000 farmhouse he had lived in following a legal dispute with a building society.

Charles Chestnut burned down the four-bedroom country house after a row with Yorkshire Building Society over repayments.

The 55-year-old – who has now been jailed for five years – set the rural home alight then made a barbecue next to the burning building and sat strumming a guitar as fire crews and police officers arrived.

A judge jailed him for arson and told him: “You decided to have the last laugh, or so you thought, by burning it to the ground.”

Chestnut had relocated to buy the 4.6-acre “amazing development opportunity” with a range of outbuildings more than four years ago.

But he fell out with the building society over his mortgage payments – and they started court action to repossess the house known at Pantyrhodyn near Whitland , Carmarthenshire .

Swansea Crown Court heard on September 19 last year Chestnut had been due in court again in the farmhouse wrangle but failed to attend.

Instead of going to court he set fire to the farmhouse and waited for the fire service to arrive.

During Chestnut’s trial prosecutor Tom Scapens said the defendant had “obliterated” Pantyrhodyn farm and a barn in the blaze.

Mr Scapens said: “Police and firemen arrived at Pontyrhodyn farm to find Chestnut enjoying a barbecue and strumming a guitar.”

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Chestnut was in fact no longer the legal owner of Pontyrhodyn because he had stopped making payments. A county court had granted possession to the building society in 2014.

Mr Scapens said: “Two years of further legal hearings followed because Chestnut refused to leave the property entirely and eventually he occupied a caravan in the grounds.”

The farmhouse was described as an “amazing development opportunity” to be turned into a “fabulous home”.

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It boasted a range of outbuildings including stone barns, a coach house, cow shed and three block-built outbuildings.

It also had gardens and a large pond and separate driveway to the outbuildings.

But the main farmhouse is now just a smouldering shell.

The court heard the £250,000 property and land was now valued at £80,000, which would not cover the £150,000 outstanding mortgage.

The building society also spent £30,000 in litigation fees during the lengthy battle with Chestnut.

Chestnut, who moved from Rochdale, Lancashire, to the farmhouse refused to cooperate in the court case but he was found guilty of arson.

The court heard when police arrived Chestnut said: “See that building? I built it. I didn’t build it right so the best way to get rid of it is to burn it down.”

Jailing him for five years, Judge Geraint Walters said: “The farmhouse had been completely burnt. It was but a smouldering shell.

“It seems to me that it’s no coincidence that you decided to destroy this property on September 19 because you may remember you had got another appointment that day which you failed to keep.

“Instead of attending court you decided to burn down the property.

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“This is a case of high culpability on the basis that you were in a campaign against the building society over a number of years, showing your determination not to be beaten by them.

“The reality is this was their property not yours. You played cat and mouse with them for years.

“Then you decided to have the last laugh or so you thought by burning it to the ground.

“It is for that reason that the offence in my option was plainly deliberate. It was pre-planned.”

When asked by the judge if he had any submissions to make Chestnut, who represented himself, said: “I would like to go free please.”

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Chestnut had hung two signs on his farmhouse gate which greeted fire crews.

One read “Free scrap” and the other said: “Danger keep out. Private property undergoing complete renovation.”

Judge Walters the fire crews were called by a neighbour who spotted smoke from his farmhouse.

The judge added: “They found two gates to the farm had been secured. They were locked.

“You were later found to be sitting outside a towing caravan inside a plastic tunnel, seemingly preparing a barbecue while playing the guitar.”

After the case, a Yorkshire Building Society spokesman said: “We have a specialist team of colleagues who work with customers in financial difficulties to help find the most positive resolution available.

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“There are a number of options and solutions available for customers who, like Mr Chestnut, find themselves in arrears and repossession would only ever be a very last resort.

“We advise customers who are facing financial difficulties to contact us at the earliest opportunity so we can work with them to resolve the situation positively.”