A WOMAN who tried to set her neighbour’s home on fire by pushing a smouldering paperback novel through his letterbox has been spared jail.

Lorraine Allen wept in the dock at Bolton Crown Court as Judge Elliot Knopf heard how she had earlier made threats, banged on a window with a Stanley knife and threw items around Vincent Yates’ garden in Brookhouse Avenue, Farnworth.

Hugh Barton, prosecuting, said the neighbours had lived next door to each other for several years and, until three years ago, had been in a relationship.

They remained friends until a few weeks before the arson attack when 48-year-old Allen, believing Mr Yates was in a relationship with another woman.

At 1.30pm on May 18 Mr Yates returned home at 1.30pm and saw mum-of-two Allen banging on his rear window with a knife, shouting and screaming.

When he opened the door she made stabbing motions, but he grabbed her arm, disarmed her and pushed her out of the house.

In a rage Allen threw rubbish, plants and items around Mr Yates’ garden before going to the front of the house and trying to set fire to a bush then igniting a paperback book and shoving it through his porch letter box, followed by squirts of nail varnish remover.

No damage was caused and Allen, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to attempted arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered and possessing a knife in public.

“She is a decent woman, socially responsible, who made a grave mistake,” said Mark Friend, defending.

Judge Knopf sentenced Allen to two years in prison, suspended for two years and ordered her to undertake 20 days of rehabilitation activities.

“The effect of someone who plays with fire can never be predicted,” the judge told her.

“You demonstrated a complete and utter loss of control that could have had serious consequences.”