Gran describes how fire ripped through garden sheds towards her home

A grandmother unable to sleep on a hot June night raised the alarm and save her grandsons as fire ripped through two garden sheds and entered her Upper Bucklebury home.

A statement from Christine, Rose of Mortons Lane, was read to the jury at Reading Crown Court on yesterday at the trial of Philip Ruta, 25 of Fallows Road, Padworth who denies arson with intent to endanger life at the home of Mrs Rose and her husband Dennis.

He also denies arson reckless as to whether life was endangered and criminally damaging a Peugeot car belonging to his ex-girlfriend Zoe Jury.

Mrs Rose described how she had gone to bed at 11pm on June 19 last year but woke at around 1.15am because she was hot.

She watched TV and made some food and at 3.15 noticed a light outside making it look like daylight.

Her statement said: "I immediately thought it looked like fire."

She saw through her kitchen door the garden sheds were blazing and woke her husband Dennis. He told her to call the fire brigade and wake their two grandsons who lived with them.

Mr Rose then threw water on the outside wall in an attempt to prevent the fire spreading to the house.

The court heard how he moved his own car and got the car keys from Miss Jury who lived two doors along in Mortons Lane because her car was parked next to his - close to the fire.

Mrs Rose said in her statement: "I keep thinking about what could have happened if I had not been awake as our fire alarm did not go off and the fire was very near the boys' room."

Go here to see the original:
Gran describes how fire ripped through garden sheds towards her home