A JILTED student has been jailed for 39 months after setting fire to rubbish bags piled up against his ex-girlfriend's back door.

Bolton Crown Court heard how 21-year-old Damon Daniels had been involved in a relationship with Bolton University student, Terri Scoots, which ended acrimoniously on October 13 2013.

Two weeks later he was sentenced to a suspended 16 week prison sentence for assault, theft, criminal damage and possessing a knife in Dorset Street, Bolton and a restraining order was made banning him from contacting her.

But Stuart McCracken, prosecuting, said the same day he ignored the order and sent her a Facebook message to which she replied.

"She appreciated it was a difficult time for him," said Mr McCracken.

However, Daniels became abusive and in several messages told her he wanted her to "burn in hell", claimed he would pour petrol over her and told her: "I want you to burn for the rest of your existence."

Mr McCracken told the court that, at 9.20pm on January 21 last year, Miss Scoots was with friends at her end terraced student house when she and her housemate went to collect take-away pizza.

Shortly after she returned home a guest, Jack Burrows went into the kitchen, but when he opened the back door smoke filled the room.

Rubbish bags beside the back door had been set on fire and the tyres on Miss Scoots' car and a friends's bicycle had been slashed.

Police were called, who managed to establish Daniels' mobile phone had been in the area at the time.

When arrested he denied being responsible for the arson, claiming Miss Scoots had hacked his Facebook account and left the abusive messages herself.

Daniels, of Moss Park Road, Stretford, subsequently pleaded guilty to arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered and two counts of breaching a restraining order.

Judge Elliot Knopf, who sentenced Daniels to 39 months in jail, heard that Miss Scoots has been so badly affected by the incident that she has abandoned her studies and left Bolton.