Mentally-ill Arsonist Spared Jail

A schizophrenic former police officer who defrauded her lover out of more than £20,000 before setting fire to their home has avoided jail.

Tracey Burt, of Harpers Road, Newhaven, received a three-year rehabilitation order at Hove Crown Court.

Burt, 33, who left Sussex Police in 2002, previously admitted arson, four theft charges and one deception charge.

Judge David Rennie said she had caused “untold misery” but he decided not to jail her because of her condition.

He said he was satisfied she was suffering from ongoing mental health problems.

The court had heard that Burt’s “extravagant lies” – including claims that her mother and relatives had died – led her to being given compassionate leave from Sussex Police and enabled her to defraud her partner Jackie French out of £23,500.

Walton Hornsby, prosecuting, said that when her lies spiralled out of control she decided to burn down the couple’s rented house in Balcombe.

He said that on 2 January 2005 it appeared Burt had poured petrol into the property through a downstairs window as her partner lay in bed.

The court was told Ms French managed to crawl on to a window ledge before being rescued by a neighbour.

‘Life destroyed’

Silus Reid, defending, said: “She is and she was suffering from mental illness.

“One can quite understand why the victim feels she was merely a deceiver and a liar.

“But these offences, notwithstanding the dishonesty offences, were committed when she was ill, undiagnosed and untreated.”

He said Burt had showed “genuine remorse” for her actions.

Mr Reid added: “It sounds in some ways hyperbole, but her life is destroyed not by her actions and not by whether she goes to prison but because she suffers from a life-long condition of schizophrenia.”

Sentencing, Judge Rennie said: “You have caused untold misery to people who trusted you and loved you.

“And yet, when weighing all of this up, it would be wholly wrong for me not to place very great weight on the central plank of your mitigation, namely the fact that you were mentally ill at the time, and remain mentally ill today.”