Paddington survivor admits arson

The crash at Ladbroke Grove, near Paddington, killed 31 people

A woman who survived the Paddington rail crash has been spared a jail sentence for setting fire to a duvet as her husband slept in bed.

Nurse Carolann Barry, from Thatcham, Berkshire, told Reading Crown Court how she used a cigarette lighter to set fire to the bedding on 9 January.

She was sentenced to a three year community rehabilitation order after pleading guilty to one count of arson.

The court heard how her husband, Michael, a police inspector, managed to put out the flames but injured his hands.

'Mindless' event

John Price, prosecuting, said that when police arrived at the family home, Mrs Barry told them: "Yes, I did it - I wanted to kill him".

Barry later said it was not her intention to kill her husband and pleaded guilty to the charge of arson.

In court, Barry's defence team said the traumatic experiences she had suffered as a survivor of the Paddington rail crash had contributed to her becoming dependent on pills and alcohol.

Oscar Delfabbro, defending, said: "This cocktail has taken its toll, with a lady who should be enjoying the best years of her life, finding herself in a downward spiral which culminated in this mindless event."