A woman jailed for life collapsed in the dock after a judge told her she was dangerous and the public needed protecting from her.

Jennifer Millar was being sentenced for setting fire to a Colchester flat when the incident happened at Chelmsford Crown Court.

Judge Ben Pearson stopped the case and asked for the court to be cleared. Security firm staff attended to the 23-year-old.

Millar was appearing in court for sentence after she admitted charges of affray and reckless arson at a flat in Pinetree Court, Colchester.

The court heard how she armed herself with a knife and got into the flat on March 5 this year.

Tenant Paul Goldsmith locked himself in the bathroom before escaping out of the window.

After he had gone, four separate fires were started in different rooms in the flat. No one was injured, but the blaze caused £4,500 damage, the court heard.

Keith Galvin, prosecuting, said Mr Goldsmith's brother, Michael, had a relationship with Millar but she was not pleased when this ended.

After she was arrested, Millar made a full confession to police and admitted setting fire to the flat before "legging it," Mr Galvin said.

He also told the court how Millar, of Spruce Avenue, Greenstead, Colchester, had previous convictions for violence as well as robbery and attempted robbery.

Stephen Harvey, mitigating, said despite her age, Millar had covered the whole gambit of drug and alcohol abuse. She was susceptible to self-harm. Medical reports presented a "very worrying and concerning picture."

Judge Pearson told Millar: "You have a violent background and my first duty is to protect the public from offences such as these."

Millar got a life jail sentence with a recommendation she serve at least three years before parole is considered. She must remain on licence for the rest of her life.

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