AN ARSONIST has been jailed for four-and-a-half years after setting light to his partner's bedsheets while she slept.

James Turner, 27, had admitted arson reckless as to whether life was endangered and causing criminal damage to his and Danielle Sycamore's shared residence in Marlborough Road, Braintree, at an earlier appearance at Chelmsford Crown Court.

Turner argued that he had been upset when his and Miss Sycamore's two-month-old baby had been taken by social services.

Dressed in red prison dress and speaking only to confirm his name, Turner was handed the sentence by Judge Charles Gratwicke on Tuesday at the same court.

Prosecutor Nneka Akudolu described how Turner had previously been overheard threatening to burn Miss Sycamore's house down.

She added that on the day of the incident, Miss Sycamore had been in bed and Turner had been drinking.

"Danielle woke to the smell of smoke," Miss Akudolu said.

"On looking at the foot of the bed, she could see the defendant with a lighter and that her bed was actually alight with her in it."

Police officers described the property being in complete disarray, with furniture broken and thrown around.

They described a "small seat of fire" which had been extinguished on the bed.

Peggy Siemons, mitigating, said: "Turner has been always been sorry from when this happened.

"He is very disappointed in himself.

"This all started when his child was taken into care two hours before the incident.

"He was shocked, upset and distressed."

She branded it a "reckless, stupid and dangerous" act.

Handing down the sentence, Judge Gratwicke said: "Arson in whatever form is an extremely serious offence, as you know all to well.

"You are lucky in the circumstances in this case that you are not facing a more serious charge.

"Once a fire takes hold, as it did in this case, there are never any guarantee that someone can put it out."

Miss Sycamore said: "I am very disappointed as four-and-a-half years for trying to kill someone is nothing."