A BRIDE-to-be was targeted by her neighbour in a series of firebug attacks after a decade-long feud.
Gran Nicola Wilde, in her 40s, and fiancée Michael Flynn were forced to flee their homes after blazes were lit on the communal landing outside their respective flats.
Neighbour Nora Ward, 63, who is hard of hearing was eventually identified as the culprit after CCTV captured her starting another fire at the premises after Miss Wilde had moved out. Ward later accused the victim of ”causing her a lot of problems over the years”.
At Manchester Crown Court, Ward admitted reckless arson and was sentenced to 15 month imprisonment suspended for two years.
The pair had been sworn enemies since moving alongside each other in Wythenshawe, Manchester.
The court heard Miss Wilde had been made subject of a court undertaking and had been accused of racial abuse after allegedly referring to Ward’s Irish traveller background.
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Patrick Buckley prosecuting said: ”There has been a history of incidents between the defendant and Ms Wilde.
“In 2016, Ms Wilde gave an undertaking to Manchester County Court, promising not to engage in anti-social behaviour in and around the defendant’s address.
“Allegations of racial abuse by the defendant against Ms Wilde from May 2022 were subject of no further action by the police.
”Whatever the rights or wrongs of that history, it is clear that the animosity between them was long-standing and persisting at the time of this offence.”
In the weeks up to Ward’s arrest on May 24 this year a number of fires were set in the hallway and on the doorstep of the communal door to flats 12 and 14 on 21 April and 20 May respectively.
Mr Buckley added: ”The door was the only exit, and therefore escape route, for the occupants of those flats. On the latter occasion, the fire brigade attended and put the fire out. No charges arise from those incidents but as a result of the earlier fires, Ms Wilde and her partner Michael Flynn, who lived at a flat behind the communal door, decided to stay elsewhere.
”On 22 May, a neighbour in a nearby building, saw the defendant walking back to her house having been to the shops.
“Being suspicious about the previous fires, he decided to switch his motion activated CCTV cameras for that night and the cameras captured fire at entrance to flat 10 towards the communal door at three different times.
”On the second and third occasions, the defendant was captured carrying something which is already alight and laid it down on the doorstep.
”Another neighbour who lived in a different building, was woken twice in the night and could smell smoke through an open window.
“When he left for work the next morning, he discovered the damage to the communal door of flats 12 and 14. The value of that damage has been valued at £1,500 by the Housing Group, as the door had to be replaced.”
Ward was recognised on the footage and a black bubble coat matching that seen on the CCTV was found at her home. When interviewed under she claimed she could not remember starting the fires due to her drinking heavily and taking prescription medication.
But one of her neighbours said: “The fires that have been set are getting closer to my property, I’m worries mine will be set on fire endangering me and my family. This could end up with somebody being killed by her actions. It’s got to stop before she goes too far.”
In mitigation for Ward, defence counsel Jane Dagnall said: “She is fully remorseful of what she has done and doesn’t want to be in this situation again.” Ward herself who wore a hearing aid told the court: “I apologise again and again.”
Sentencing her Judge Nicholas Dean KC said: ”When someone starts a fire, here is a real chance that people will be harmed or even killed it becomes a very serious incident. Your neighbours are fearful about the persistence of you doing this again.
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”I hope that you won’t do it again, but I am going to impose a suspended sentence in part to ensure that you don’t. We don’t want to see you in court again.”
Ward was also ordered to complete 40 rehabilitation activity days.
