A COUPLE hatched a plan to kill a man with fire after he pawned a watch worth a couple of pounds.

Jane Reilly and Alan Archer nearly killed their victim when they doused him with petrol and set him alight.

Their anger all boiled down to Reilly not being happy that the man had pawned a watch she had given him after leaving her pie and mash store.

The duo were jailed for 24 years each.

Judge Samantha Leigh shared the shocking tale in her sentencing remarks at court yesterday.

She said: “Archer, you were homeless, and you knew other men from being homeless and knew the victim as well.

“You started up a relationship with Jane Reilly and worked in her pie and mash shop in Southend.

“The victim also worked in the pie and mash shop in an effort to stop drinking. At some point he was given a cheap watch, no more than a few pounds, by Reilly.

“He moved out and said he wouldn’t be working for Reilly anymore.

“Reilly was unhappy about the watch being pawned. It was described as a watch that was very, very cheap that you had got from the market.

"Whatever it was, it was worth no more than a few pounds.”

Echo:

The grass verge where the victim tried to put himself out

After buying the can of petrol which was eventually thrown over the man, Archer had called the victim and asked where he was, confirming via his girlfriend that they were staying at a house in Southchurch Avenue.

Archer, 33, of Fairmead Avenue, Westcliff and Reilly, 53, of Trowbridge Road, Harold Hill, then arrived at the address and walked up to the front door with the petrol can shortly before 1.30am, and the shocking attack then happened.

Craig Rush, mitigating for Reilly, said the attack was a "catastrophic lowing of standards" in which she had lived her life.

He said: "Her father died during the course of her incarceration.

"She has to come to terms with the shame she feels about what happened and how she has found herself in the position she finds herself in."

Benn Maguire, mitigating for Archer, said: "He wishes to apologise to the victim. He bitterly regrets putting his friend through what he went through.

"He intends to contact him to express his regret and his remorse."