Bedlington man set fire to girlfriend's clothes after falsely accusing her of being in porn video

An arsonist set fire to his girlfriend's clothes in a revenge attack after falsely accusing her of being in a porn video.

William McPhee wrongly believed an explicit video he had seen featured the mother of his baby and flew into a rage, a court heard.

He smashed the woman's mother's door with an axe and then when she got home she found her burnt clothes in her yard.

McPhee, 22, of Lily Avenue, Bedlington, Northumberland, has now been given a suspended prison sentence at Newcastle Crown Court after pleading guilty to arson, criminal damage and possessing a bladed article.

The court heard they had been together around 18 months and their baby had been born around a month before the offences.

On 7 October they had an argument which resulted in her going to her mother's with the baby.

Rachel Glover, prosecuting, said: "The next morning, at 7am, the woman got a phone call from the defendant and he accused her of being in a pornographic video he had seen online. This is not the case and she tried to tell him it was not her.

"He continued to ring her mother's phone, saying he wanted to see his son. One hour later, his partner became aware he was at her mother's address, shouting and saying he wanted to see his son as he was going to Scotland the next day.

"He was warned the police would be called and threatened to drive his car at the house. There was banging and the sound of a glass panel being smashed.

"They then saw him drive off and they checked the CCTV, which showed him leaving to go to his car to get an axe from the boot and came back to the property and smashed the front door with the axe."

Police were called and the woman was escorted back to her home by officers. Miss Glover said: "On going in the back yard she saw the remains of a fire.

"Most of her clothing was missing from the house and in the remains of the fire she saw pieces of clothing and her hairdryer. The total value of the property was about £1,000."

In an audio message sent to the victim, McPhee admitted setting her belongings on fire and called her abusive names. He later handed himself into police and admitted what he had done and apologised but repeated his allegations about the pornography.

In a victim impact statement, the woman said: "I've been left with nothing. I'm shocked and surprised by his actions and worried about what he might be capable of doing."

Her mum added: "This has caused me to be annoyed and upset. I've supported him the whole time he has been with my daughter. I'm concerned he will return and cause more damage or more problems for my daughter."

McPhee, 22, was sentenced to 20 months suspended for two years with rehabilitation and must do a building better relationships programme.

Recorder Jonathan Sandiford told him: "You were foolish enough to listen to other people when they told you things about your partner.

"One of the things you may find valuable in life is, if you want to have a relationship with someone, you have to listen to them before you listen to other people. You chose not to and got yourself in a right state, angry, seeing red and gave vent to that anger."

The court heard McPhee had the axe in his car due to his work as a landscape gardener and tree surgeon. Matthew Hopkins, mitigating, said: "He has expressed remorse and acknowledges she should not have had to go through that experience. He believed that she was in the video but he now does not believe she was in this video.

"It was his first serious relationship. He has obviously behaved appallingly in it and has a lot to learn. His mother has handed over money to compensate the damage caused."

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