A MAN who set fire to his partner's clothes and went into her home uninvited has been warned he could be jailed.

James Tanner, 32, pleaded guilty to arson committed on February 7 and burglary with intent to cause damage between February 5 and 8 when he appeared before Bodmin court on March 10.

Prosecutor Jill Wilson said that Tanner and the woman had been in a relationship for two years but at the time lived in separate houses in the Bude area. Tanner had bouts of heavy drinking and this had led to personality changes for which he had received counselling.

On February 5 his partner was in the pub when Tanner arrived drunk. Later when she went back to her home in Maer Lane, Bude, she found him in her bedroom. They argued and he left. Next day she received texts from him which became increasingly abusive and on February 7 arrived home to find the screen of her laptop smashed and a photograph in a frame damaged.

Later the same day she found a bin on fire in her garden. Clothes, books and a wetsuit she had left at Tanner's flat were being burned in it.

When she phoned him about the incident he told her: "You got my present then." He then said: "You deserve nothing more than death". He had burned her things because, "you're gone, you're erased from my life".

Chris Nicholls, mitigating, said Tanner, a self-employed labourer, had no previous convictions.

He had sought help for his depression and alcohol issues, but around the time of the offences had been doing so well that he stopped his medication and had something to drink. He accepted that the relationship was over and had moved to an address in Chilsworthy, Holsworthy, Devon. He had the support of his brother and his parents.

Mr Nicholls pointed to remarks made by the victim in her statement in which she said Tanner needed "help not punishment" and he also commented that both Tanner and his partner had had free access to each other's properties at the time of their relationship and there had been no forced entry by him.

The case was adjourned until April 7 for the preparation of a pre-sentence report and Tanner was bailed with conditions.