AN arsonist whose night-time crime spree in Denholme left a terrified couple and their two young children trapped in their burning home has been jailed.

Luke Patchett was labelled a public danger and imprisoned for seven-and-a-half years, with a seven-year licence period on top of that.

Recorder Ben Nolan KC told him he was impetuous and immature with a reckless disregard for the consequences of his actions and the risk to human life.

Patchett, 33, of Bolton Hall Road, Wrose, pleaded guilty to arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered, two offences of arson, two burglaries, an attempted burglary, two offences of criminal damage, and theft.

Bradford Crown Court heard he went to the home of an acquaintance in Denholme at 1am on June 13. There was an argument when he was heavily intoxicated and probably under the influence of drugs.

Patchett left the address, stealing the man’s phone and throwing a brick through his living room window.

He set fire to a car in Knowles Street and interfered with another vehicle before committing the reckless arson in Clapham Street. He ignited the family’s Peugeot parked outside their front door and the blaze spread to the house.

The couple were woken by a smoke alarm and saw flames. Smoke was filling the property, leaving them trapped upstairs. They had to be rescued by firefighters.

The heat from the blaze smashed the window of the bedroom where the children had been sleeping.

“This must have been a terrifying incident,” Recorder Nolan said.

The blazing Peugeot damaged another car parked nearby.

Patchett then went to a house in Pleasant View, opened the garage, took a bag of tools and deliberately set fire to another nearby garage at 4am.

He next burgled a woman’s home in Keighley Road, taking her vehicle keys and stealing her car. He then attempted to burgle another address.

After his arrest, he failed to provide a sample of saliva for Class A drugs analysis and made no comment when questioned by police.

He had 40 previous convictions for 71 offences.

The mother whose family was trapped in their home recalled being woken by the alarm and seeing thick black smoke. “The only hope we had was that the fire crew would get to us soon and get us out,” she said.

Her husband told her that one or both of their cars were on fire and it had spread to the house.

The family was taken to hospital by ambulance, with the children shivering in their pyjamas.

Patchett’s barrister, Gerald Hendron, said in mitigation that he had been drinking and “something quite extraordinary” occurred to make him act in this way. His recollection was limited but he accepted full responsibility for his actions.