Birmingham Mother Sentenced for Attempted Arson at Ex's Parents' Home
Rebecca Proffit, a 23-year-old mother from Birmingham, has been sentenced to two years and eight months in prison after attempting to set fire to her ex-boyfriend's parents' home using a cannabis spliff and lighter fluid. The incident occurred following a heated argument over childcare arrangements, Birmingham Crown Court heard.
Threatening Messages and Aggressive Confrontation
The court was told that Proffit became embroiled in a row with her former partner on June 1 last year. She subsequently sent him a threatening text message stating, "I'm going to murder you. I'm coming to your mum's and it won't be pretty. F***ing watch." Shortly after sending the message, Proffit arrived at the address in Sutton Coldfield, where she continued to argue aggressively with her ex-boyfriend.
Witnesses described her as visibly angry and aggressive, with a cannabis spliff hanging from her mouth during the confrontation. When her ex-boyfriend retreated inside the house, Proffit took drastic action.
The Attempted Arson Incident
Proffit dropped the still-ignited cannabis spliff through the letterbox of the front door and walked away. A few minutes later, she returned and squirted lighter fluid through the same opening. Fortunately, the spliff had already been removed from the doormat by the occupants, preventing a potential fire.
The step-father of Proffit's ex-boyfriend, who was watching from upstairs, witnessed the events unfold. He heard the letterbox close and saw Proffit walk away initially. Upon investigating, he discovered the smoldering spliff inside and removed it. Moments later, he observed Proffit's hand reappear at the letterbox as she attempted to spray lighter fluid into the home.
Assault and Arrest
Following the attempted arson, another altercation ensued during which Proffit pulled the hair of her ex-boyfriend's mother. Police were called to the scene and promptly arrested Proffit. During the arrest, officers seized a tin containing lighter fluid and a candle lighter from her handbag.
Proffit pleaded guilty to three charges:
- Attempted arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered
- Assault by beating
- Possession of cannabis
Court Sentencing and Judicial Remarks
At her sentencing on Monday, February 9, Judge John Butterfield KC emphasized the severity of Proffit's actions. "The potential consequences are disturbing to contemplate," he stated. "The risk was setting the whole house ablaze at the same time putting out of commission the front door as a way of escape."
The court heard that the targeted couple had since invested in CCTV security and had even considered moving away from the area due to the trauma of the incident.
Defense and Mitigating Factors
Adam Wieczerzak, defending Proffit, described the day of the incident as "the worst day of her life when everything went wrong." He acknowledged that she had handled the situation poorly but emphasized her genuine remorse.
Wieczerzak also revealed that Proffit had stopped using cannabis for the first time since age 15, which he said had "helped her thinking process." The court noted that Proffit had no previous criminal convictions and had experienced a difficult upbringing, along with suspected autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
However, Judge Butterfield cautioned that "with those irregularities the worst thing in the world to do is regularly smoke cannabis." The sentence reflects the serious nature of the offenses while considering the defendant's personal circumstances and lack of prior criminal record.
