A jilted man has been jailed after starting a blaze at his ex-girlfriend’s flat and trapping her inside.

Simon Brooke, 31, set clothing on fire and pushed it through the letter box of Michelle Franco’s eighth-floor flat.

Hopelessly trapped inside, Miss Franco was only saved when firefighters plucked her from her balcony in a dramatic rescue.

Sentencing at Lewes Crown Court, Judge Jeremy Gold QC said the blaze would have caused “terror” for the residents of 18-storey tower block Theobald House in Blackman Street, Brighton, who would have had the Grenfell disaster in their minds.

The court heard Brooke had earlier threatened to “beat his ex-girlfriend’s head in” before starting the blaze on January 23 this year.

Brooke had been in a turbulent on-off relationship with Miss Franco for three years before she locked him out of her flat out of concern for her safety.

He then bombarded her with 24 missed calls.

A few days later, on January 23, he sent her an email about retrieving belongings, warning: “Make life easy for yourself by meeting me to get your stuff, otherwise I will beat your f***ing head in without mercy.”

Miss Franco left his belongings in a rucksack outside her front door. She saw him – through the glass panel – collect his belongings and she retreated to her bedroom.

She then saw flames by the front door, which she tried in vain to put out with a bucket of water.

With no other way out of the flat she fled to her eighth-floor balcony and had to be rescued by firefighters.

Steve Wedd, defending, told the court: “Brooke was open and candid when he said he set fire to her flat in revenge for her long-term behaviour and power games.

“He said he was disgusted by his behaviour and that he had been in prison by his own actions.”

Brooke, of Holland Road, Hove, who appeared via video link from Lewes Prison, pleaded guilty to arson with intent to endanger life and sending a communication conveying a threatening message.

Judge Gold sentenced him to nine years, including six years in custody and three years on licence, for arson with intent to endanger life.

Brooke was given a concurrent sentence of six months for the threatening email.

He was also made subject to a restraining order not to contact Miss Franco or visit Blackman Street on release.

Detective Constable Tracey Dixon of the Brighton Safeguarding Investigations Unit said: "This was a terrifying incident for the victim and it's seriousness has been reflected in the sentence and the Restraining Order issued by the court. 

"It was a case of domestic abuse in which Brookes had over a period of 45 minutes come back and forth to the victim's flat in different clothing.

"In that time he had set fire to the paper which ignited outside her door.

"She was trapped inside her flat but was rescued by Fire and Police who put the fire out and ensured she was treated for the effects of smoke inhalation."