Stacey Hinks, 34, started a fire which destroyed three properties and left her ex with only the clothes on his back. Hinks has now been jailed for four years and ten months.
An arsonist who torched her ex-boyfriend’s house, robbing him of everything he owned, called him after the act to inform him his house was ablaze.
As well as shattering the lives of her partner by destroying his home and belongings, Stacey Hinks, 34, ignited a fire that obliterated three home. Her former partner was left with nothing but the clothes he was wearing at the time. Hinks has now been sentenced to four years and ten months behind bars.
Hinks, of no fixed abode, deliberately set the blaze at the property on Springfield Grove, Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire, on the evening of May 15, before ringing her ex to inform him his home was ablaze. Initially sceptical that Hinks had executed the attack, the victim only grasped the reality when he started receiving calls from worried friends and family later that night checking on his wellbeing.
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His home was reduced to rubble. He lost all his possessions, including irreplaceable sentimental items, and was left with just the clothes he was wearing that night. The neighbouring properties on either side also suffered catastrophic damage. The two occupants of those homes lost most of their belongings and had to be temporarily relocated, reports Yorkshire Live.
Footage from a doorbell camera captured the courage of neighbours who dashed to warn those they thought were inside. They managed to alert one resident, an 89 year old woman, who was able to flee to safety. Thankfully, it was later confirmed that the other two residents were not at home at the time. In his victim impact statement, Hinks’ former partner said: “I lost everything, a lot of it can’t be replaced. I had lots of sentimental items in my home that are gone now.”
He continued: “I literally had the clothes on my back, everything was destroyed. All my furniture and belongings were lost that night.”
He also described how he has “struggled every day since”, all due to stress caused by the fire. His now 90-year-old neighbour, who also lost her home and sentimental items, including ones from her late husband, directed some of her victim impact statement directly towards Hinks.
“You will never understand the harm that you have done to me. Mentally, physically, financially and emotionally. I hope that you can sleep on a night because I certainly can’t. I will think about this for the rest of my life,” she said. She described how she was forced to leave the bungalow she had moved into with her husband 27 years previously, moving in with family members in a different town, away from friends and family, and how Hinks has taken away her independence because of what she did.
“I have to rely on other people for everything now,” she said. Another neighbour, who had lived in her home since 2009, recalled watching the fire unfold on her security cameras and how she witnessed on the footage the desperate attempts of her neighbours to ensure her safety.
“Since you burnt my bungalow down, I have lost everything that I own. I have lost mementos to my late husband and son; all of my memories and belongings are gone.” Despite answering no comment in interviews, Hinks, who was arrested two days after the fire, was subsequently charged with arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered.
She pleaded guilty and was today sentenced to a total of four years and ten months’ imprisonment when she appeared before York Crown Court. Speaking following sentencing, Detective Constable Karen Everitt of North Yorkshire Police, who led on the investigation said: “Hinks devastated the lives of three innocent people. Her ex-partner and his neighbours lost everything, their homes, their belongings, and precious memories.
“The emotional toll has been immense. Thanks to the quick and brave actions of nearby residents, an elderly woman was safely evacuated, and the two other residents were confirmed not to be home at the time.
“Had things been different, the consequences could have been far more tragic. “Hinks showed complete disregard for the safety of others. I’m pleased she eventually admitted her guilt and is now behind bars, where she belongs. “.