Katie Ramsay, 59, from Seaton Delaval, Northumberland, has spoken of her relief at being alive after her neighbour set fire to a mattress in the bungalow next door, causing a blaze that spread to her home. The fire, which happened in the early hours of April 7, destroyed the home she shared with her disabled husband Ed, 69.
Stephany Henderson, 33, formerly of Hallington Drive, Seaton Delaval, has been jailed for 40 months after pleading guilty to arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered. Newcastle Crown Court heard she told another neighbour she had “had a bad day” and later said she wanted to end her life.
Smoke and panic
Katie said she was awake when she began to smell smoke. “I was up doing bits and bobs,” she explained. “I could smell smoke. It wasn't strong, but it was enough to catch your breath. I went to the door and the next thing I saw was a man saying 'You had better get the fire brigade, your house is on fire.'”
She realised she had to wake Ed, who has mobility problems following a brain injury. “I was hysterical, I was screaming. I got Ed out straight away. By this time I could hear crackling at the back of the house.” As her home filled with smoke, she saw Henderson sitting calmly on her front doorstep.
Long-standing concerns
Katie said she had a “bad vibe” about Henderson from the start, and was plagued by a constant smell of cannabis from the property. She said emergency services were regularly called to Henderson's home. “She was forever calling the fire brigade,” she said.
Following the fire, Katie and Ed were housed in temporary accommodation before moving into a new bungalow on the same street. They lost all their belongings and have been forced to rebuild their home “from scratch,” with help from neighbours who donated money.
Katie said the trauma has had a huge impact on them both. “Ed wakes up every night, it's around 2.30am. We have never settled. That was home to me. That was my forever home. Everything I owned is still in there.”
Tony Cornberg, defending, said Henderson has significant and long-standing mental health issues and didn’t want to live any more when she set the fire. He added that the thought of her children made her leave the burning bungalow and said the consequences could have been tragic.
