DARREN SMITH'S DEVASTATING ARSON ATTACK IN BIDEFORD: CHILD TRAPPED IN FIERY PLOT

In a shocking act of arson and manipulation, Darren Smith, a 40-year-old man from Honestone Street in Bideford, deliberately set fire to his own home in an attempt to deceive and terrorize his ex-partner and her children. The incident took place on April 27, and the consequences were both devastating and alarming, especially considering that a seven-year-old girl was trapped inside the burning building.

Smith’s motives for this reckless act were rooted in a complex and malicious scheme to rekindle his relationship with his former partner. He falsely portrayed himself as a victim of a sinister hate campaign, orchestrating a series of malicious acts designed to make her believe that she and her children were under threat from a fictitious gang of attackers. His goal was to manipulate her into reuniting with him, either out of a desire for protection or out of sympathy for his fabricated plight.

To support his false narrative, Smith staged multiple incidents that left his ex-partner and her three children terrified and desperate. He deliberately slashed the tires of her car, threw a large rock through a window while they were watching the children’s favorite show, Peppa Pig, and sent her menacing death threats claiming they originated from the supposed rival’s jealous partner. These threats included a chilling message stating, “Did you enjoy your night? Your ex (Smith) has one week to live, then we are coming for your son before we come for you. Enjoy time with your ex before it’s too late. This is for cheating with my partner. Payback. Bitch.”

Furthermore, Smith falsely claimed that he had been followed and attacked by men wearing balaclavas, adding to the atmosphere of fear and paranoia. The culmination of his malicious campaign was the arson attack, during which he set fire to his own home, a flat situated above the Quaker Meeting Room in Honestone Street, Bideford. The blaze was so intense that it caused approximately £100,000 worth of damage. Tragically, a seven-year-old girl was trapped inside during the fire. Fortunately, she was rescued by members of a nearby choir who happened to be passing by on their way to a local pub. One of the rescuers drove their Range Rover onto the pavement outside the building and climbed onto the roof to extract the girl and her pet tortoise from the first-floor window.

Investigations revealed that Smith’s intentions extended beyond mere revenge or manipulation. He had been involved in an on-and-off relationship with the victim for over four years, though they never cohabited. Their relationship ended in April after she started dating another man. It was during this period that Smith’s malicious actions intensified. He posed as the outraged wife of the man his ex-partner was seeing, fueling the false narrative of a jealous rival.

Police inquiries uncovered inconsistencies in Smith’s story. He claimed that his house had been attacked by intruders, but CCTV footage showed no one near the property at the time of the fire. Instead, footage from earlier that day showed him purchasing a can of petrol, and DNA evidence was found on a glove near the burnt-out petrol can. Neighbors heard him shouting for help hours after the fire, but his injuries, which he claimed were inflicted by masked assailants, were later confirmed to be self-inflicted by medical professionals.

Following the fire, Smith continued his campaign of harassment. Four days later, he threw a large rock through a double-glazed kitchen window, causing the victim and her children to barricade themselves in their bedroom, fearing intruders. The next morning, she received a threatening text message, which was sent from an unregistered phone. Police later recovered CCTV footage showing Smith topping up the phone at a local shop in Bideford. The victim expressed her fear and trauma in a victim impact statement, stating she believed all the threats and had no idea they were fabricated by Smith. Her children, deeply distressed, insisted on sleeping with her for weeks afterward.

Smith was charged with multiple offenses, including arson, harassment, and making threats to kill. At Exeter Crown Court, Judge David Evans sentenced him to five years and five months in prison. The judge also issued a restraining order, prohibiting Smith from making any further contact with the victim and from returning to the area near Winkleigh where she resides. In his remarks, the judge emphasized that Smith’s actions were an attempt to manipulate and control his ex-partner through fear and deception, ultimately causing significant emotional and physical damage to those involved.