Man and woman sentenced after arson attack on Dereham home
A mother & her child were inside at the time.
A man and woman in their 20s have been sentenced after admitting to arson, endangering the life of a mother and child in Dereham.
Laura White, aged 26, from Main Road, Fransham, and Bradley Buckley, aged 27, from Old House Lane, Roydon, appeared at Norwich Crown Court on Wednesday (16th December 2020).
The pair both pleaded guilty to charges of arson, following an attack on a home in Metamec Drive, Dereham earlier in the year.
On 3 May 2020, Buckley and White bought petrol and a lighter from a local petrol garage, and just before 8pm that evening, White drove them both to the address of the victims.
The court heard that Buckley had poured petrol through the letterbox of the house, and tried to set alight to it, before setting fire to a fence at the side of the property, which was next to a mains gas pipe.
Buckley then proceeded to pour petrol over the victim's vehicle, before setting it alight, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.
The victim, who was known to White, and her young daughter, were in the property at the time, managing to escape through the building's only exit, the front door, after the fire failed to spread.
Following enquiries, officers later found the defendents at an address in Stanfield where they were both arrested.
As a result of an investigation, and after appearing at court this week, Buckley was sentenced to 4 years and 8 months in prison.
White was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment.
Detective Constable Daniel Mather said:
"In this case, a mother and child were subjected to an unprovoked and cowardly attack which could, frankly, have ended their lives.
"While they were lucky to have escaped physically unharmed, the mental impact this attack has had on them as a family is huge. I can't imagine the fear they must have felt, and have continued to experience as a result of what happened.
"We can't change what happened, but hopefully this week's result will allow some degree of closure for the victims.
"I'd like to thank the witnesses and victims who have bravely spoken out to help us investigate and bring the defendants to justice."