Man who threw petrol bomb at house jailed

A man who threw a petrol bomb at a house in Boston in a revenge attack has been jailed.

Christopher Murton, 37, was caught on CCTV as he lit the gin bottle and aimed it at a property in Ingelow Avenue, in September last year.

Lincoln Crown Court heard the female householder had a lucky escape when the petrol bomb failed to break a ground floor window and bounced back into her garden.

Murton, who admitted a charge of arson being reckless to endanger life, was sentenced to three years and eight months.

Murton also has a restraining order imposed on him preventing any contact with the victim.

Tom Heath, prosecuting, said the victim had gone to the toilet in the early hours when she noticed Murton standing outside her home.

"He... could be seen fiddling with something, then a bright ball of orange light could be seen," the prosecutor said.

"He then threw it at the house, it appeared to bounce off the house and started a small fire in the garden and in a canoe which was in the garden."

The victim extinguished the fire herself and called the police.

A smashed glass bottle was found with a rag passed through it, the court heard.

Mr Heath said there was also a strong smell of accelerant or petrol.

During interview, Murton admitted there had been a dispute between his partner and the female victim, but he had initially denied going to the property, claiming he had been at a party.

However, Murton, of no fixed address, later admitted a charge of arson being reckless to endanger life on 22 September 2024.

In an impact statement, the victim said her teenage son was asleep upstairs at the time of the attack and she was now suffering from increased panic attacks and fear.

Anna Soubry, mitigating for Murton, said: "It was the most stupid thing he has ever done.

"It was misplaced loyalty for his partner."

The court heard Murton had his own mental health problems with anxiety and depression, and now realised alcohol was not a solution.

Passing sentence Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight said the danger of such an attack was obvious.

"This was a Molotov cocktail," she added.

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