Michael Boulton, 40, from St Helens, has been jailed after calling his partner a ‘s***’ and accusing of her cheating on him before he set her flat on fire after drinking heavily
A thug who accused is girlfriend of cheating on him before setting her flat ablaze after a night of heavy drinking, a court heard.
The victim, named in court as Ms Douglas, had been in a relationship with defendant Michael Boulton, 40, for several years which ended in 2023 when he was handed a suspended sentence for battery against her.
After serving time on remand, the couple rekindled their relationship to an extent and on April 19 this year, Boulton was at her St Helens flat. Prosecutor Nardeen Nemat told Liverpool Crown Court that Boulton, who had been consuming whisky, insulted his partner saying: “I know what you did while I was in prison.”
Ms Douglas left the flat to stay with a friend nearby. However, about half an hour later, she received a call informing her that her flat’s fire alarm was sounding. Ms Nemat stated that upon returning to the flat, Ms Douglas could smell smoke and “felt a strong force” preventing her from entering.
Peering through the letterbox, she saw Boulton inside. The court heard that Boulton had ignited her coat hanging on the back of the door. When she threatened to call Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, he dismissed her saying: “We don’t need the fireys”, before dousing the flames with a jug of water.
The court was informed that the defendant, formerly of Kendal Drive in St Helens, had also initiated two other fires in the flat – one on the window ledge which damaged the television and another beside the bed setting the mattress alight. Following the latest incident, Ms Douglas exited the flat and saw the defendant holding a knife near his neck.
She managed to snatch the knife from him before he could harm himself. The fire brigade was summoned to the location and their report highlighted evidence of alcohol and drug consumption in the flat and pointed out a pile of paper involved in the fire found next to the bed.
They stated there were three distinct areas of fire in the flat and the papers would have aided the fire. The estimated damage costs were £600 for the television, £110 for the coat hanging on the door and £175 for the mattress. After the prosecution outlined the estimated damages, the defendant, dressed in a yellow tie and white shirt with a bald head, raised his hand and informed the court that the television was actually his.
The accused initially appeared in the lower courts the day after the incident, charged with arson with intent, assault by beating and intentional strangulation. However, he indicated his intention to plead guilty to a simpler form of arson. He later pleaded guilty to reckless arson endangering life, and the other two charges were left on file after the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to pursue them.
Ms Nemat informed the court that Boulton has five previous convictions for eight offences, including property damage in 2015 and 2016, and a battery conviction last year. The court briefly heard about the battery conviction, where Boulton and his partner argued over a mobile phone before he struck her in the face causing bruising, reported the Liverpool Echo.
He received a two-month suspended sentence for 18 months. However, an incident the April this year activated his suspended sentence, and he has since spent the subsequent months in prison.
In mitigation, Stuart Mills, defending, told the court the incident “clearly comes against a backdrop of a failing relationship” but it had since rekindled and Ms Douglas had visited him in prison. He said the defendant has a three-year-old daughter with his partner who was recently placed in foster care with a relative.
The court was informed that the defendant has since been in touch with his daughter who is “stable and happy”. Mr Mills highlighted his client’s mental health struggles, citing a doctor’s report that Boulton suffers from personality disorders.
Mr Mills relayed to the court that the doctor “believes they can assist with these issues… now is the time to do this instead of after custody when he has been knocked down the pyramid”. He added that Boulton has already spent nearly 160 days behind bars following the activation of his suspended sentence and now “wants to settle down with his partner”.
In sentencing, Judge Denis Watson told the defendant that this incident was related to “domestic revenge” where ” you only thought of yourself”. The judge stated: “This isn’t a case where the cost is high but there was quite obviously a significant risk that there would be extensive damage or psychological and physical harm.”
Despite taking into account the defendant’s guilty plea, Judge Watson said the sentence was too significant to suspend. He sentenced Boulton to three years and three months’ imprisonment.
