Youth worker, 35, who torched her flat in suicide bid was saved when horrified ex-girlfriend saw the flames in FaceTime call and dialled 999

• Dawn Reast vowed to kill herself after having an argument with her ex-partner  
• Reast set fire to clothing and towels outside of her bedroom door, a court heard
• She then made a video call to the same woman who watched the fire in horror
• Her ex-partner dialled 999 and Reast was rescued from the blaze by firefighters
• She was given a two-year suspended jail sentence by Judge Paul Watson QC 

Dawn Reast (pictured), 35, from Cleethorpes, had vowed to kill herself after an argument with the other woman the same evening, a court heard

A youth worker who set fire to her flat in a bid to kill herself and then made a Facetime call to her ex-partner as the fire raged has avoided going to jail.

Dawn Reast, 35, from Cleethorpes, had vowed to end her life after a drunken argument with her ex-partner the same evening, a court heard.

After arriving back at her top floor flat, she piled clothing and towels outside her bedroom door and set them alight.

She then made an emotional video call to her estranged partner who could see three-foot high flames on her phone screen. 

The line went dead and when the other woman rang back, she could only see thick black smoke.

The terrified woman dialled 999 and Reast was rescued by firefighters who lifted her from the bedroom window of the block. 

Reast, who works with young adults with learning difficulties due to autism, cerebral palsy and brain injury, admitted arson with recklessness to life on December 28 last year.

Prosecutor Jeremy Evans told Grimsby Crown Court the two women had split-up shortly before the blaze but met up for a drink which lasted several hours.

Then Reast’s mood abruptly changed and she stormed off back home.

The other woman was then stunned to receive a video call from Reast, saying she had barricaded herself in.

‘When she saw the flames and smoke she told her to go to the en suite bathroom and get water. But the call terminated,’ said Mr Evans.

Reast, who works with young adults with learning difficulties due to autism, cerebral palsy and brain injury, admitted arson with recklessness to life on December 28

She tried to call back but could only see black smoke. She pleaded with Reast over the phone to get herself to a window and yell for help.

The prosecutor said the fire spread and smoke set off alarms in the neighbouring flat.

The man next door went to help but fire crews had already arrived and carried Reast, who was covered from head to toe in soot, to safety.

The prosecutor added: ‘Unusually, she made immediate admissions to those present that she had started it deliberately and had tried to take her own life.’

Damage to the property was limited to £2,500 because the local authority had recently installed new fire doors and a sprinkler system.

But an electricity socket had melted because the blaze was so fierce and he underlined: ‘She put the lives of others at risk.’

Saleem Khan, mitigating, said: ‘ She has learned her lesson. She was suffering from a mental disorder. It is unlikely to happen again.’

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He added there had been a trauma in her life about 10 years ago and she continues to try to come to terms with it.

She was given a two year suspended jail sentence by Judge Paul Watson QC who linked her alcohol problems to what had happened ten years ago.

He said: ‘It is an extremely serious offence and could have had catastrophic consequences, in particular to the neighbour.’

She was also ordered to undergo a 15-day rehabilitation requirement and 120 days on an alcohol monitoring tag, as well as 150 hours unpaid work in the community.

Reast wept throughout the sentencing hearing. As she left court, she said ‘thank you’ to the judge and hugged relatives, saying: ‘I am so sorry to do this to you.’ 

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