Derbyshire woman 'set fire to her own garden fence after becoming annoyed that her partner was avoiding removing rubbish'

Linda Buffini became so frustrated by the ‘large pile of rubbish’ at the side of her house, and her partner’s continued failure to get rid of it, that she tipped two canisters of lighter fluid to it and set it alight, Chesterfield Magistrates’ Court was told on Tuesday, July 28.

But unfortunately the rubbish was too close to the garden science and the flames destroyed a five metre section, said Robert Carr, prosecuting.

The court heard that the damaged section was only two metres from the house and also risked setting trees alight.

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“If it had not been put out it would have set fire to the house,” Mr Carr said.

A neighbour came to help put out the blazing fence, which belonged to Futures Homeway Ltd, the housing group which manages the property she lives in at Damstead Park Avenue, Alfreton.

Buffine, 42, admitted committing arson when she appeared before the court, following the incident on May 18.

Mitigating, Denny Lau said: “She was annoyed at the state of her own garden and she had been asking her partner to get rid of the rubbish for months. It was an accident.”

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He added that Buffini had paid to have the damaged section replaced.

Magistrates gave her a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered her to pay £85 costs and a £22 victim surcharge.

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