Weeping wife admits setting fire to husband's bed at west Hull home
A WIFE wept as she admitted setting fire to her estranged husband's bed after their marriage collapsed.
Jenifer Ann Cliffe, 30, went to the home she once shared with her estranged husband Mark while he was working as a store manager in the city.
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Jennifer Ann Cliffe set fire to the west Hull house while her husband was at work
She removed the smoke alarms in the house before setting fire to his bed in the terraced house in west Hull.
Cliffe then sent a text to her husband, telling him "the house has gone".
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Neighbours only realised something was wrong when smoke started pouring through the walls of their houses.
Cliffe, of Weelsby Way, Hessle, wept in the dock at Hull Crown Court as she pleaded guilty to arson being reckless as to whether life is endangered on the afternoon of November 22.
The pair had separated after ten years of marriage and had been together for 14 years. The mum-of-two was decorating at the house in Chanterlands Avenue and, during the course of the day, she sent her former partner a number of text messages.
In one, she asked him to "look after the kids". In another, she wrote "I'm sorry".
Finally, at 5.30pm, she texted him "Sorry I cannot do it any more, I love you, the house is gone".
The fire brigade arrived at the house shortly after receiving calls from the neighbours.
Crews discovered the bed had been set on fire, forcing them to turn their water jets on it.
The bedroom and the upstairs of the house were all affected by smoke damage.
Firefighters discovered two smoke alarms had been removed downstairs and placed on the floor and a third had been taken down upstairs.
Cliffe was nowhere to be found in the house and her estranged husband worked with police to track her down.
Eventually the police traced her to the A63 and she was arrested.
She pleaded guilty on the basis she was not attempting to commit suicide but the Crown Prosecution Service did not accept it.
Judge John Dowse has ordered a psychiatric report before she returns to court for sentencing.
He said: "There is a barrage of information and text messages that need to be considered as to the state of her mind at the time."
Her solicitor Ian Phillip told the court she knew there were "serious consequences" following her actions.
Judge Dowse told her: "You have pleaded guilty to a very serious matter and I am seeking further medical reports to be prepared on you.
"I think you understand why and it is normal in cases such as this. If you fail to turn up to the sentencing hearing, there will be a serious sentence for failing to turn up. You understand if you breach any of your bail conditions there will be serious consequences."
The case has been adjourned for eight weeks and Cliffe is due to be sentenced in April.
She has been granted bail until she returns to court.
10 Comments
by cocoabutter
Sunday, February 10 2013, 3:32PM
“Interesting story, it sounds very dramatic, 'forced to turn their jet sprays on'! Don't the fire fighters usually turn their jet sprays on when fighting a fire?!! ;-)
I don't know this persons story, and even though I have read the article, this is a mere drop in the ocean and represents nothing about this person's life. The press sells us a story; it is in no way shape or form judge or jury. I think this should be remembered sometimes, and perhaps we should try and look beyond what the press is presenting to us.
Regarding people commenting on the sentence this person may receive, there have been other cases of arson were life is endangered and these people received suspended sentences. Yes arson does hold a custodial sentence, but isn't it the judge's duty to take into account the evidence and reports that make up the case, and hopefully pass a sentence which is both appropriate and beneficial to the person and the public? Nothing in life is either black or white, we live in the grey, and to which there are many more shades than 50! ;-)”
by Kewstu
Wednesday, February 06 2013, 9:12AM
“For some reason the HDM have taken down the charge from the story, yesterday it said she was charged with Arson with Reckless Endangerment of Life of which the maximim sentence is Life Imprisonment.
I guess she will get between 5 and 10 years as she pleased guilty.”
by b00001
Wednesday, February 06 2013, 2:43AM
“It's a shame this girls problems have been dragged through the press like this. Good luckJenifer, There is life after marriage and I hope everyone will let you put this behind you so you can move on and build a new life.”
by Max102
Wednesday, February 06 2013, 12:13AM
“Poor woman, she must have felt very desperate. I hope she is treated fairly, gets the help she needs and can get back to life with her children. Good luck!”
by winegumdaze
Tuesday, February 05 2013, 8:30PM
“A wife set fire to the bed after the marriage had collapsed,,,What about when our bed collapsed in a B.B IN Blackpool and the marriage was fine, We was carrying excess and trying out Indian movements and love calls ....CRASH...Our lass would,nt go down for her breakfast when the landlady called....That was a first ,I ate both ....when i calling you oooooooooowho oooooooooooooooooooooCRASH.”
by Paul_at_Hull
Tuesday, February 05 2013, 8:18PM
“I saw some of the humorous points like yours (Allwaysred 1) and even I marked that up. Great stuff, wish I could think as fast.
Humour aside, it is tragic to see that so many families are tearing themselves apart these days. They fall out and argue. But I think a lot of this stems from factors outside their control; battling to pay the bills, low wages, struggling to keep a job.... a house. Families see all that they would like to achieve moving further out of reach. It's tragic. I just wish MPs would devote a fraction of the effort to looking out for the ordinary folk as they do to their expenses and quibbles about the EU, grovelling to the USA - or just poking out noses into Iraq, Libya and now Syria. MPs: you've got a job to do at HOME. Do it! Help these families instead of taking way their benefits, child allowance and tax credits and crushing them under such pressure.”
by Worker111
Tuesday, February 05 2013, 3:52PM
“Not exactly a hardened crimminal.
As has been mentioned, in middle of relationship breakdown, sounds like she had a breakdown of her own.
Fine her, give her community service and let her and her family try and rebuild their lives.
Jailing her will achieve nothing.
There are plenty of people who deserve to be put away, she doesn't strike me as one of them”
by Woodhey
Tuesday, February 05 2013, 2:06PM
“Better a suit than what happened to that Bobbit guy!!!”
by exiled
Tuesday, February 05 2013, 1:58PM
“a moment of madness, no one injured , let her move on with her life”
by SJIxx
Tuesday, February 05 2013, 12:33PM
“She had a day of break down and mistakes were made which she has to live with for the rest of her life, she is a great friend with a heart of gold who would do anything to help anyone.”