Woman stands by jilted man who set fire to her home

A jilted man who set fire to a woman's home after she went back to her husband has been jailed.

Colin Forbes, 52, used petrol to start the fire in Aberdeen's Deveron Road in March last year.

The first offender, who admitted wilful-fire raising, was jailed for two years and eight months at the High Court in Stirling.

But the judge did not make a non-harassment order, which would have banned Forbes from contacting his victim on his release, after she wrote to the court saying she wanted their relationship to continue.

After the alarm was raised firefighters extinguished the blaze and found that no-one was in.

The court heard Forbes and the woman had been together for a year until she said she she was going back to her husband.

Forbes sent the woman messages claiming he had been made a fool of and telling her to check her house insurance.

In one message he wrote: "Body bag for one needed. Not me."

Andrew Crosbie, defending, said: "He finds himself in a position where he has upended his life for the sake of a bruised ego.

"I am hesitant to use the expression 'crime of passion'."

He added: "It's his very good fortune the complainer has been as magnanimous as she has been.

"She forgave him and continues to forgive him and wishes him to be part of her life.

"She wants him back, but is under no illusions that can't happen for a period of time."

Lord Stuart told Forbes: "Your actions, while they may have been triggered by the ending of your relationship, were clearly deliberate and premeditated.

"Whilst no actual harm to humans was suffered, there was clearly potential for serious personal harm and there's no suggestion you took any steps to ensure otherwise."