Barnsley fire starter left neighbours traumatised & temporarily homeless after setting her own home alight

Lindsey Marshall started the blaze at her home on Wensley Road in Barnsley, and Sheffield Crown Court heard how it subsequently spread to the home of her next door neighbours, who are described as being a ‘couple with mobility issues’. 

Jailing Marshall, the judge, Recorder David Kelly, told her: “You caused very significant alarm and distress to your neighbours.”

A hearing held on November 11, 2024 was told that by the time the blaze was extinguished, it had caused at least £60,000 of fire damage to Marshall’s property, and £20,000 to her neighbours’ adjoining home.  

Marshall was seen to be outside her property - which is owned by Yorkshire Housing - when the fire service arrived on the scene.

She told those in attendance that she had dropped a lighter which then set some papers on the floor alight, prosecutor, Ella Fornsworth told the court.

Recorder Kelly said he had taken note of Marshall’s mental health issues, and the fact she has been diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder. 

He suggested Marshall’s decision to start the fire may have formed part of a suicide attempt, and she made her way outside the property after changing her mind. 

In a statement submitted to the court, Marshall’s next door neighbours said the incident had been ‘particularly distressing’ due to a similar, but unconnected, ordeal that one of them had previously experienced. 

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The fire took place on October 19, 2022, and Marshall’s neighbours were forced to move out of their property for several weeks in the run up to Christmas while repairs were carried out. 

Marshall, aged 56, previously of Cemetery Road, Barnsley, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to an offence of arson, with recklessness as to whether life is endangered.

Ms Fornsworth said Marshall had a clean criminal record, prior to this incident. 

Defending, Vanessa Saxton referred Recorder Kelly to pre-sentence and psychiatric reports prepared on Marshall’s behalf. 

Ms Saxton said she had told Marshall that custody is the most likely outcome of the sentencing hearing, given the level of harm and damage caused. 

“I ask Your Honour to keep that sentence as short as possible,” said Ms Saxton. 

She continued: “She was experiencing a period of poor mental health [at the time]...she can’t help with why she became involved with this incident, it seems completely out of character.”

Recorder Kelly jailed Marshall for three years. 

He told Marshall he accepted she had demonstrated ‘genuine remorse,’ and said he had reduced her sentence accordingly.