Woman sentenced for arson deaths

[21 May 2008]

A 23-year-old who set a house ablaze, killing her former lover and his baby girl, has been sentenced to a minimum of five-and-a-half years.

In December, Marie Sharp started the fire by lighting a rag and putting it in the letterbox of the house in Seacroft, Leeds. The house belonged to her former lover, Gavin Battensby, who was killed in the blaze trying to save his 15-month-old daughter. The toddler, Kyra, died as well. Sharp was dangerously jealous of Battensby's relationship with Kyra's mother, Sherree Palmer, who escaped the fire. Sharp had earlier admitted manslaughter and will now serve a minimum of five-and-a-half-years.

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