Shackleton’s “act of complete stupidity” put others in danger
Jayne Shackleton(Image: Merseyside Police)
A woman was given a gift by a friend but took “revenge” by setting fire to it and leaving it outside his door. Jayne Shackleton turned arsonist after seemingly being offended by the gesture, sparking a blaze which saw the hostel where both parties lived evacuated.
It came after she was left “feeling hard done by and used” by her fellow resident, who was apparently pursuing a romantic interest in the defendant which was not reciprocated. But she has now “learned a valuable lesson” from her “act of complete stupidity”.
Liverpool Crown Court heard this afternoon, Thursday, that Shackleton and Robert Murphy were both residents at Mary Cole House, a charity run hostel in Birkenhead which housed 34 occupants and two members of staff at the time of the fire on the evening of December 14 last year. CCTV footage captured the 46-year-old, of no fixed address, walking through the building at around 10pm on this date carrying a bundle of sports clothing.
Christopher Taylor, prosecuting, described how the video then showed her dumping the clothes alight outside Mr Murphy’s room before leaving again. Within minutes, the flames had taken hold of the door and led to the corridor being filled with black smoke.
The site had to be evacuated as a result, although no injuries were reported as a result of the incident and another resident was able to extinguish the blaze before the arrival of Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service at the scene. Around £5,000 in damage was caused to the ceiling, flooring and doorway however.
Mr Murphy had been visiting another room at the time of the fire, with Mr Taylor adding: “If Mr Murphy had been in his room, he most likely would have been trapped inside. The court may consider that there is an element of a revenge attack. Multiple people were endangered. The crown would say that she knew he was in the building, and most likely in his room, at the time.”
Shackleton was said to have been abusive towards police officers upon her arrest and later denied having started the fire under interview. She has four previous convictions for five offences, including for assault occasioning actual bodily harm in 2002 and racially-aggravated public order matters in 2017 and 2023.
Paul Wood, defending, told the court: “It is really sad. In my respectful submission, Jayne Shackleton is a vulnerable lady who has had quite a difficult background. But it is a serious offence. There is an element of revenge. She felt hard done by. She felt used. That was the motivation as far as this offending was concerned.
“There was a risk that somebody could have been in the room. It is reckless behaviour. It is dangerous behaviour. It should never be repeated. Ms Shackleton will no doubt learn a valuable lesson from her incarceration. She knows that it was an act of complete stupidity.
“The fire fortunately caused a relatively modest amount of damage. It was a relatively short lived incident. I ask you to accept that this defendant is genuinely remorseful. It is a lady whose frustrations have manifested themselves in a dangerous way.
“She was a product of the care system before being adopted. She has been the victim of domestic violence in relationships in the past. For approximately the last 15 years, she has been living on and off in hostels. She had been living in this hostel for approximately nine months. That perhaps reflects the lack of stability in her life.
“She has had issues so far as drugs are concerned. She has not used amphetamine for 10 years and is now clean of cannabis, which is a positive so far as she is concerned. She has a difficult, deprived background. She has suffered with long term anxiety and depression for 20 years.
“She presents, with the greatest of respects to her, as a very simply, straight forward lady who has limited academic ability and issues so far as her mental health is concerned. She is an individual who is probably quite vulnerable in custody. She is just trying to keep her head down and get on day by day, fulfilling her day by courses, where she can, and gardening.”
Shackleton admitted arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered. Appearing via video link to HMP Altcourse wearing a turquoise body warmer over a grey prison issue jumper, she was jailed for 27 months.
Sentencing, Judge Neil Flewitt KC said: “Mr Murphy was a fellow resident in the hostel where you were living and someone with whom you had been friendly. It seems that he had expressed an interest in taking that friendship further, but that was not something that interested you.
“When he gave you a gift of clothing, you used it to make your feelings clear by setting fire to it and dropping it outside the door of his flat. Happily he was not inside at the time, although you were not to know that.
“It is quite startling to note just how quickly the fire developed and the corridor filled with smoke. After about seven minutes, the clothing was fully alight and the corridor was filled with black, acrid smoke. The smoke itself could have been a risk to anybody entering into that corridor. It is clear that, if Mr Murphy has been inside his room at the time, he likely would have been trapped.
“These are premises that are habitually occupied by two staff members, and there are 34 residents living there. Your actions put all of those people at risk. I appreciate that probably was not on your mind at the time, but I hope that it is clear to you now just how dangerous an act this was.
“You were living in that hostel because, for much of your recent life, you have not had settled accommodation of your own. You had a difficult start in life. You have been the victim of domestic violence and been dependent on drugs. It is clear that you have a number of mental health issues. This has been your first taste of custody. I accept that you have used that time constructively.”