Blackwood man jailed for torching three cars in revenge attack

A jealous man high on cocaine has been jailed after torching three vehicles outside his ex-girlfriend and children’s home in a calculated revenge attack.

Jason Hurley, 48, from Blackwood, carried out the arson in the Abertillery area during the early hours of Monday, April 29, 2024, because he was furious that his former partner had contacted the Child Maintenance Service asking for more money to support their three children.

Cardiff Crown Court heard that Hurley had sent his ex a threatening message, warning he would set fire to her home. He then targeted three vehicles belonging to two neighbours that were parked just metres from her house whilst she and their children were inside.

All three vehicles were completely written off in the blaze. One victim lost a £30,000 works van and felt compelled to leave his job as a result of the incident. Hurley had wrongly believed his ex was having a relationship with this man.

Leah Pollard, prosecuting, told the court: “There was a high degree of planning and this was a revenge attack.”

In a victim impact statement, Hurley’s former partner said: “I feel unsafe in my own home and I’m always on edge. My confidence has been massively knocked and I’ve become more introverted. I feel uncomfortable around most men now.”

The defendant pleaded guilty to three counts of arson and one of sending a communication threatening death or serious harm. He had 10 previous convictions for 14 offences committed between August 1995 and April 2009, though none were as serious as his current offences and he had never been to prison before.

Charles Archer, representing Hurley, said his client had been taking steps to tackle his mental health difficulties and his “substance misuse”. The defendant was also “ashamed” of his actions.

Judge Lucy Crowther told him: “This had something to do with jealousy as she was moving on with her life and that you were asked to pay a few extra pounds a week. There was a high degree of premeditation and this was, in my view, a revenge attack. You were addicted to cocaine and lost all control of yourself.”

Of his offences, she added: “The consequences could have been terrible.”

Hurley was jailed for three years and made the subject of a restraining order preventing him from contacting his former partner for 15 years.