A DEPRESSED man who torched the home of his girlfriend and her four children has been jailed for six years.

Arsonist Kerry Roberts was also told he would face a further four years on licence and would be sent to prison again if he committed any further crimes.

Roberts, 45, of Pendine Close, Corringham, caused £60,000 of damage to the terraced house in Bracelet Close, Corringham, which the woman shared with her children aged four, seven, eight and 11.

The fire also destroyed £25,000 of property.

Southend Crown Court heard yesterday that Roberts suffers depression and had been drinking when the incident took place.

He had been going out with his girlfriend, Emma England, for about six weeks.

Jacqueline Carey, prosecuting, said: “From the lunchtime on the day in question, Mr Roberts had drunk two bottles of wine and by 5.30pm Miss England noticed he was becoming depressed and she asked him to leave, which he did.”

Roberts was seen outside the house playing with his phone at about 8pm by a neighbour.

Miss Carey said Miss England, who had gone out shortly after Roberts, returned home with her children at about 10.30pm to see firefighters tackling the blaze.

Roberts’ mobile phone was found in the house and the court heard that an investigation found he had broken in through a back door and started fires in five rooms.

The court heard he had previously doused himself in petrol in a failed suicide attempt and torched an ex-girlfriend’s Christmas tree.

Diana Pigot, defending Roberts, said a psychiatric report and a report from a probation officer showed Roberts had made positive steps while on remand for almost a year.

She said: “The offence was triggered by depression and alcohol.

“He knew the property was not occupied, and showed some sort of concern by going back later.”

Judge Philip Clegg said Roberts denied recklessly endangering life through Arson, but changed his plea on the day of his trial last November.

He said: “It was a terraced house with neighbouring houses at the front and back.

“You targeted five different rooms, which shows the degree of determination, which is worrying, and the fire was catastrophic.”