A Dartford man who set a house on fire, with two children inside, has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years.

Christopher Harrison, 36, of Langlands Drive, pleaded guilty to arson with intent to endanger life at Maidstone Crown Court yesterday (June 15).

Harrison went to a house in Dartford and poured petrol through his former partner’s front door, before setting it alight, in the early hours of September 17 last year.

His former partner and two young children were asleep and inside the house – and the woman became aware of the fire when the smoke alarm went off.

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Christopher Harrison

Neighbours had also heard the smoke alarm and tried to put the fire out for nearly 10 minutes from outside the door.

Obscenities were written on a window and the woman’s garden gate had been damaged, along with several items of removed clothing from the washing line, which burnt on the floor.

Officers found a petrol receipt inside Harrison’s car when he was arrested.

CCTV showed him buying a container and filling it up at a petrol station, near to the damaged house.

Along with the seven-and-a-half years in jail, Harrison was also sentenced to eight months for breaching a non-molestation order, and will serve this concurrently.

A lifetime restraining order was imposed, ordering him to stay away from his victims.

Investigating officer detective constable Jason Lynch said: “Harrison spared no thought for the lives of the woman and young children who were inside the house when he set it alight.

“At no point has he given any motive for his actions.

“An investigation by fire experts said that was it not for the installation of a working alarm it was likely that those inside would have been seriously injured or even killed. He is clearly a very dangerous individual.”