A man who set his ex-partner’s house on fire by pouring petrol through her letterbox during the night and then setting it alight, has been jailed for 30 years.
Nicholas Martin, 63, was found guilty of attempted murder and assault occasioning actual bodily harm by a court in Manchester in September, and jailed for 30 years on Monday after carrying out a “campaign of abuse” against the woman, which lasted years.
Martin carried out the attack on the house in Worsley, Salford, at around 5.10am on 22 October 2024, when he knew his ex-partner would be asleep.
According to Greater Manchester Police, he booked himself into a nearby hotel and waited until the early hours of the morning to execute the attack.
The victim was initially woken by the sound of her letterbox snapping closed and then heard a crackling sound. She soon realised her house was on fire and jumped out of her bedroom window. In the fall from the first-floor window, she sustained two broken ankles and a broken vertebrae.
Martin had been in a relationship with the woman since 2019. The court heard that he had become increasingly controlling, monitoring her movements, preventing her from seeing family members, and constantly criticising her.
Investigators at Salford Criminal Investigation Department said that Martin had installed home cameras for monitoring and controlling the woman, including what she could eat, wear, and watch on television.
At the time of the offence, Martin was already on bail for a previous assault against the victim, and conditions were in place for him not to contact her and for him to reside in Leicester. But he left his bail address, rented a car and drove to Worsley.
Martin was arrested the following day at a hotel in the Lake District, where police discovered a can containing petrol in the hotel room wardrobe.
He made no comment in his police interview and then pleaded not guilty to the charges. Despite later admitting to causing the fire, he said he had no intention of killing the woman.
The victim's pet cat was killed in the fire.
In a powerful victim impact statement which was read out in court, the victim said: "Martin’s vile and monstrous actions have utterly destroyed and decimated my life through his abuse of me during our relationship, and the continuation and heinous escalation of his abuse of me after our relationship ended and he was arrested, charged with domestic abuse offences and bailed.
“Martin has irrevocably changed the lives of my family members and I will forever remain wracked with guilt at bringing such a dangerous and destructive man into our lives, and at how close my son and daughter came to the murder of their mum, and my mum came to the murder of her only child.”
Speaking about the previous assault charge, the victim said: “After contacting the police in September 2024, I was incredibly relieved when Martin was charged for assaulting me in 2021 and I was informed that his bail conditions meant that he was not allowed to contact me in any way. As we neared the date of Martin’s court hearing scheduled for October 2024, I was starting to look towards my future.
“I described in court my feelings of absolute terror when I realised that my home had been set alight by fire. I am still often consumed by the same feelings of terror, experiencing flashbacks, distressing memories and nightmares of the fire and aftermath.”
She added that the “worst part of the destruction of my belongings is the loss of irreplaceable items such as family photos, and mementos of my late father and grandparents”.
“After the murder attempt, I was left suffering extreme trauma and pain whilst not being able to have any of my familiar belongings around me, and in the knowledge that my home had been destroyed.”
She said that her mother, her son and her daughter “have all also required trauma therapy sessions following Martin’s actions”.
Detective Constable Zoe Bellis, of Salford CID, said: “Martin undertook a campaign of abuse against his victim lasting a number of years. His last act nearly resulted in a woman’s death and I am thankful of today’s sentencing result putting this despicable individual behind bars and away from harming other victims.
“I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the victim for her unwavering support throughout the investigation. Her strength has been instrumental in helping us build the strongest possible case against her abuser and ensuring he is held accountable.”
She added: “I hope today’s result marks the beginning of her journey toward healing, with the reassurance that justice has been served for the manipulative and appalling acts committed against her.”
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