Man who started a fire at his ex's £800K barn conversion avoids jail

Man who started a fire at his ex-girlfriend’s £800K barn conversion after she told him she planned to move away with their three-year-old daughter avoids jail

• Joseph Langshaw caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to the property
• Kerrin-Lee Nell said his attack caused her ’emotional scars and immense stress’

A man who started a fire at his ex-girlfriend’s £800,000 barn conversion after she told him she was planning to move away with their three-year-old daughter has avoided jail.

Joseph Langshaw, 42, launched a late night arson attack on Kerrin-Lee Nell’s luxury Hayfield property in March 2021.

Though no one was hurt in the blaze, Miss Nell suffered ’emotional scars and immense stress’ due to her ex’s behaviour. The attack also caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to the 40-year-old’s shed, fence and trees, according to a police charge sheet.

Police discovered Langshaw had told his ex-girlfriend in a series of chilling texts: ‘F**k you, I hate you, the sooner you f**k off the better. You’re a sh*t mum, I’m a sh*t dad. We’ll all be dead soon anyway.’

At Minshull Street Crown Court, Langshaw pleaded guilty to arson and harassment and was sentenced to a 24-month community order in which he must complete a Building Better Relationships course for domestic abusers as well as 120 hours of unpaid work. 

Joseph Langshaw (pictured) launched a late night arson attack on Kerrin-Lee Nell’s luxury Hayfield property in March 2021 

Though no one was hurt in the blaze, Miss Nell (pictured) suffered ’emotional scars and immense stress’ due to her ex’s behaviour 

Langshaw showed up at Miss Nell’s home in the Peak District village of Hayfield unannounced on March 26, 2021. He had claimed he was there to collect tools and other items that were still at the house, Minshull Street Crown Court heard. Without Miss Nell’s permission the arsonist started a pit fire in her back garden and left it to spread out of control.

The businesswoman, who works for marketing agency in the West Midlands, largely ignored Langshaw and went to bed. But the next morning she was woken by the neighbour who told her that the fire had spread to outside of her property and quite some distance from the fire pit.

Adam White, prosecuting, said: ‘When she went outside she saw that it had spread to nearby trees and had caused relative damage to her shed and gatepost.’

Langshaw (pictured) pleaded guilty to arson and harassment and was sentenced to a 24-month community order in which he must complete a Building Better Relationships course for domestic abusers as well as 120 hours of unpaid work

The amount of damage caused to the property was not disclosed in court but a police charge sheet said trees, gateposts, sheds and wooden pallets worth a total of £2,940 went up in smoke. 

Langshaw’s targeted his ex’s property just days after she informed him of her plans to sell the home and move away with their daughter. 

‘He was unhappy about this and threatened to commit suicide if she did,’ Mr White said. ‘In the days following, the defendant sent the complainant a number of abusive and generally unpleasant messages.

‘In the messages he said f**k you, I hate you, the sooner you f**k off the better. 

‘He also made sent some confusing messages like ”you’re s**t mum, I’m a s**t dad” and ”we’ll all be dead soon anyway”.’

In mitigation, defence counsel Mark Fireman said his client had suffered with his mental health and added: ‘He’s a man with his own quirks and idiosyncrasies but there was issues from both sides of the relationship.’ 

The couple had become acquainted in early 2017 as pen pals but eventually met each other in person at Christmas that year, the court was told. Their relationship developed quickly and the pair soon moved in together at Miss Nell’s home. She became pregnant in 2018 and gave birth to their daughter in 2019.

‘Throughout the three years they were together, the relationship could best be described as troublesome and often volatile,’ Mr White said. 

The fire also caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to Miss Nell’s shed, fence and trees

‘Although there was no actual violence, the complainant remembers the defendant making references to stabbing her and bashing her brain in. She said that although these were not serious and probably made in jest, they nonetheless played on her mind and made her feel unsafe.’

‘The couple made a number of attempts to salvage the relationship but in May 2020 they decided to end it by mutual consent. The defendant continued to stay at the defendant’s house for a period after the breakup and on the whole they were quite civil towards each other.

‘In July 2020 the defendant left the house but was still allowed to have contact with his daughter.

Sentencing, Judge Elliot Knopf said it was clear the pair shared a ‘volatile relationship but it had its good parts.’ 

He acknowledged that they both responded and reacted toward each other in a very undesirable way at some points. 

Langshaw, who has seven previous offences on his record including criminal damage from 2014, was told by the judge: ‘There is no suggestion that you inflicted violence against your former partner but you know full well that matters can get out of hand. 

‘Arson is dangerous as well because fires too can get out of hand. I appreciate that it was raining at the time you lit the fire but this was a big fire.’

‘However, bearing in mind your age, modest previous convictions, early plea and efforts to address your issues I will accept the recommendation not to send you to prison.’

Langshaw was sentenced to a 24-month community order, required to attend a domestic abuse course and also banned from contacting Miss Nell indefinitely under the terms of a restraining order.

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