A SEX offender who endangered the life of a small child and others by setting his partner’s house on fire has been jailed for five years.

Daniel Kerwood, 39, started the blaze in a bedroom in the semi-detached house and got his girlfriend out of the house by suggesting they took their dogs for a walk, said Richard Holland, prosecuting at York Crown Court.

Three people in the adjoining house, including a toddler, didn’t know what he had done until they heard a smoke alarm go off and saw the flames.

They called the fire brigade and the partner returned from the walk and a trip to the shops to see her home of more than 10 years burning.

She told the court she now has nightmares about fires, is on anti-depressants and fears that when he is released from prison Kerwood will seek her out.

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The Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris, said firefighters had had to risk their own lives by going into the house to put their fire out, which they had managed to do before it spread to the neighbour’s house where the toddler was.

“You have no insight into what you did,” he told Kerwood. “I have to consider whether that makes you dangerous. I am just of the view …. you are not yet dangerous. This arises out of your besottedness with your partner.”

He jailed Kerwood for five years and banned him from contacting the woman in any way for 10 years.

Kerwood, formerly of Whitby and now of no fixed address, denied arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered but was convicted by a jury at York Crown Court earlier this year.

The court heard he is a registered sex offender because of a conviction unrelated to the woman.

His barrister Glenn Parsons said he potentially had attention deficit hyperactive disorder and probably was autistic with a low IQ and learning difficulties.

“Someone with his limitations is a soft target for people in custody,” said the defence barrister, adding that Kerwood had already been the victim of attacks while on remand.

The judge agreed that Kerwood had low intelligence.

The woman told the court: “I was absolutely devastated when I saw my house was on fire. I was distressed not only by losing my own but also my daughter’s belongings and my house as well.”

She had now got new accommodation but had had to spend more than £1,300 replacing her furniture and other items.

Mr Holland said the woman had been trying to persuade Kerwood not to live in her Whitby home and Kerwood had previously breached a domestic violence protection order made to try and protect her.

He lied to police that he had been assaulted earlier in the day and backed up the lies by sending messages about it to an acquaintance before starting the fire. He then claimed the unknown attacker may have started the fire.