A grieving widow who set fire to her own home in an attempt to kill herself after she heard a Bee Gees song which reminded her of her dead husband is now behind bars for arson.
Former pub landlady Susan Jackson, 62, began playing a compilation of the group's greatest hits to help drown her sorrows with alcohol after she had a petty argument with a neighbour at her apartment block.
But it is thought when the Gibb brothers' 1977 hit How Deep is Your Love started playing, the iconic romantic ballad brought back memories for Jackson of her marriage to late husband John.
In a bid to be ''reunited with him in heaven,'' Jackson let out her pet dog and cat from her ground floor housing association flat in Winton, Eccles, Greater Manchester and then set fire to her bedroom curtains with a cigarette lighter.
Firefighters dashed to the scene to find flames billowing from the property and Jackson saying she wanted to take her own life.
It emerged she had drunk ten cans of lager before starting the blaze and was treated for smoke inhalation at Salford Royal Hospital. When quizzed Jackson said: ''The song came on and it reminded me of John and something just happened in my head.''
Nobody else was injured in the incident. Firefighters spent three hours tackling the blaze and making the area safe.
At Manchester Crown Court, Jackson who has four children and five grandchildren admitted arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered and was jailed for 28 months. She has been in custody at Styal women's prison since her arrest.
The fire started at 3pm on May 12 this year after she had got up with in a row with a neighbour.
Read more of today's top stories
Prosecutor Gavin Howie said: “This defendant resided in the ground floor flat of the building. She had argued with an acquaintance in his house before leaving, and the argument continued outside. She then threatened to kill herself.
“The police were called at 3pm when somebody noticed smoke coming from the ground floor window. Manchester Fire and Rescue service attended and flames could be seen licking out the front window.
“Officers wore breathing equipment and entered the property and they recorded the defendant coming out of the premises. They noticed a cat and dog had already been released from the property. The front window and the door were open.
“The defendant was asked why she started the fire and she replied that she wanted to kill herself. Police arrested the defendant for arson and cautioned her. She appeared intoxicated and said she couldn’t understand why she was getting arrested for wanting to kill herself.
“She then became emotional and handcuffs were placed on her to restrict the risk of self harm. These were later removed. There were black marks in her skin from the smoke. Whilst in custody she told officers she set the fire to kill herself.
''She said she drank around 10 cans of Stella Artois and said that she had the Bee Gees on and a song came on that reminded her of her deceased husband John, and something happened in her head.
"She said she got up and set fire to the curtains. She said she wanted to join her dead husband and is receiving ongoing treatment.''
Mr Howie added: “Fire was exiting through the window but there is no evidence anybody else was having to be rescued. The North West Ambulance service attended and gave treatment to the defendant.
''The flat was a mid terrace ground floor flat. There was heat damage and smoke damage throughout. The room of origin of the fire was the bedroom, and the cause of fire was a naked flame held to a combustible material.”
In mitigation, Jackson's defence lawyer Isobel Thomas said: “She has worked with the Salford Women’s centre whilst in custody. She had been working in the gardens and she has become a team leader at prison.
“She is now 62 and has no relevant previous convictions. She is somebody who has a long standing problem with alcohol abuse and mental health issues.
"In 1994 she purchased a pub with her ex husband, she began to drink and it spiralled. She has a relationship with her four adult children who have visited her in Styal prison. She has been trying to get help for the issues she has.
''At the time of this offence she was still abusing alcohol and going through a difficult time in relation to her mental health. The taking of her medication had become erratic.
"She remembers little of the day in question but she is genuinely remorseful for the way she has behaved. Her intention was to kill her self. She accepts she placed other people in danger as a result of the way she behaved and she is very sorry and remorseful.
"Since this offence four months ago she does seem to have made genuine positive progress. She hasn’t drank alcohol for a period of four months. She said this is the longest period of abstinence and she feels the best she had felt in a long time.
"She looks like a different person to whom appeared for the first hearing in July. She said she is feeling like a different person, and she has said Styal prison saved her life. She said she would be dead from alcohol misuse.
"She is doing well in prison and is acting as a mentor to other women, she is turning her life around. When the fire services attended she immediately made a comment about her intention.
Sentencing Jackson, who appeared by video link, Judge Patrick Field QC told her: “You set fire to the curtains in your flat with a cigarette lighter, and you have stated the reason was you wished to kill yourself.
"What is clear to me from what you have said is this was an impulsive act rather than a planned act. But you did so deliberately without a thought for the safety of others, in particular other residents of the block, who could have been at home at this time. It was a deeply selfish act.
"The fire was swiftly extinguished and the damage was limited to one room. There is no evidence anyone else had to be rescued. The only person who had to be taken to hospital as a result of this was you. The offence was committed in drink - the reality is you had too much."
