Ex-wife’s revenge

CARE assistant Kim Blinston sought revenge on her ex-husband's new lover with a Valentine's Day arson attack.

When she discovered her former friend Claire Giddens was in a relationship with ex-husband, Gary, she went to her Soham home to try to set fire to her car with a burning newspaper. But fearing the car's petrol tank would explode she changed her mind, stamped on the newspaper and put it through Miss Giddens' letterbox instead.

Despite Blinston's "moment of madness", Miss Giddens pleaded with a Crown Court judge not to send her former friend to prison for the sake of her nine-year-old son.

She gave a written statement to the court as Blinston awaited sentence after admitting arson and criminal damage.

Blinston was given a jail term, suspended for two years and an Anti-Social Behaviour Order for her actions.

Miss Giddens, of Gadwall Way, Soham said: "Prison is not the right place for her. I didn't want her son left on his own."

Cambridge Crown Court was told that Blinston, 45, of Station Road, Soham, was furious when her son came home from school and said his dad was "friends with Clare".

On the night of the attack she had drunk about a third of a bottle of vodka before going round to Miss Giddens' house at about 11pm.

She heard the letterbox rattle and when she looked through the curtains Blinston screamed abuse.

After the hearing, Blinston said: "I felt betrayed, like someone had punched me in the stomach. I just saw red."

She said it was a "moment of madness" she had spent the last nine months living with since her arrest.

Blinston was given a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and was ordered to pay £200 compensation to Miss Giddens and £200 court costs.

She was also ordered not to contact Miss Giddens and made the subject of an ASBO.

After the case, Blinston said: "I think we all want to move on."

Mr Blinston said: "None of us are bad people and I just hope that all of us can move on and be happy.