Southampton student terrifies housemates with homemade Flamethrower

A student from Southampton petrified her flatmates when she attempted to attack them with a homemade blowtorch at their home in Brighton Road, Southampton, last October.

Southampton Crown Court was told that Sabrina Winfield stormed through the house with a make shift flame-thrower in front of horrified housemates. Winfield had been blaring music until 5:30 am before running through the corridors with the blowtorch.

One of her flatmates, Ashton Weller, reportedly saw an “orange glow” and heard a “banging” sound around the frame of his door. He went into the passageway and witnessed Winfield operating the device.

The Court was told from the Prosecutor Audrey Archer that “he feared for his safety and felt it (the heat) coming in his direction.” The flames also caused blistering to the paintwork.

When Winfield was asked by her housemates what she was doing with the weapon, she replied: “I’m trying to get your attention”.

She was arrested and refused to answer any questions to the police.

The police had previously been called to the building, on October 2^nd, when Winfield had screamed abuse at housemates and had threatened to burn the house down. Leaving one housemate to be so fearful they considered climbing out of the window to escape.

Sabrina Winfield’s lawyer, Alistair Wright, said that his client was now working as a waitress, had no previous convictions and was struggling with mental health problems.

He defended his client by telling the court: “It was more the fear factor – which Miss Winfield recognises. She was trying to get their attention and points towards someone looking for some form of help.”

Handing down the sentence, Recorder Richard Mawhinney said: “What you did was potentially very dangerous and very frightening. If you do anything stupid like this again within the next two years you will be back here again”.

Winfield has been given a four-month prison sentence and has suspended for two years after pleading guilty to arson. She has also been ordered to complete 100 hours unpaid work and carry out a 20-day rehabilitation order.