Lutterworth arsonist who destroyed ex-partner's caravan jailed

Lord Curtis Lodge sent the victim threatening messages before setting the static caravan alight

A man who set fire to his former partner's static caravan which then spread to a nearby home where a family was sleeping has been jailed.

Lord Curtis Lodge sent the victim threatening messages before setting her home, in Hoton, Leicestershire, on fire last November, police said.

The 33-year-old, of Moorbarns Lane in Lutterworth, was found guilty of arson with intent to endanger life.

He was sentenced to 12 years in prison at Leicester Crown Court on Tuesday.

Leicestershire Police said a man, a woman and three children in the nearby caravan "thankfully managed to escape uninjured".

Lodge was sentenced to 12 years in prison at Leicester Crown Court

It said Lodge sent text messages to the victim stating he would "burn her place down".

She was not at the site at the time, but was told by a family member her caravan had been completely destroyed.

The force added the owners of both caravans said his actions have had a "major impact on their lives".

Police said Lodge intended to cause "as much damage as possible"

Investigating officer Det Con Aimee Farmer, from the force's complex investigation team, said Lodge had the "intention of causing as much damage as possible".

"He didn't care who he hurt - physically or emotionally," she said.

"Thankfully those who were sleeping at the time managed to escape unharmed, but they are still living with the consequences of his actions that night."

Lodge was also ordered to serve three years on extended licence, handed a restraining order and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £190.