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A man has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for torching his ex-partner’s home after she ended their relationship.

Gary Griffiths poured petrol over the front door of the Walsall property and through the letterbox - along with paper - and a lit cigarette.

He then tried to ring and text his former partner from the scene, informing her of what he’d done.

Chillingly, the Brownhills 44-year-old stayed to watch the fire take hold, but the victim spotted him outside and immediately rang the emergency services, who put out the blaze.

At Wolverhampton Crown Court, Griffiths was found guilty of attempted murder and arson.

The court heard he sought terrible revenge after his ex called-off their brief relationship.

Unable to accept it was over, Griffiths, from Brownhills, bombarded the woman with texts and even descended on her workplace clutching flowers.

Stephen Davies, acting sector crown prosecutor for West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Unable to accept the fact that the victim did not wish to rekindle their relationship, Gary Griffiths sought revenge on his ex-partner and planned to burn down her house while she was asleep in it.

“Once he had set fire to the house, rather than call for help Griffiths watched from across the road as the flames took hold of the downstairs of the house and then left the scene of his crime knowing that the victim was trapped upstairs.”

Griffiths struck on the morning of March 4, 2014, filling a five-litre container with petrol at Shelfield’s Jet Service Station. The householder was woken up by his missed call and raised the alarm before the fire spread.

Mr Davies added: “Through his reckless actions, he not only put the victim’s life in danger, but that of the neighbours and the emergency services who were called out to tackle the blaze.”