A Canterbury mum-of-six dismantled a fire alarm before pulling a gas tube from a cooker in an horrific attempt to kill herself and three others.

Pearl D’Souza, 35, had already piled papers and letters nearby and then ignited the gas.

But a judge heard that the bizarre suicide attempt – which led to a fire at her end-of-terrace home in Keats Corner – had also put other people’s lives at risk.

D’Souza is now facing a long prison sentence after she admitted reckless arson and attempting to murder three other people.

She sat with her head bowed in the dock at Canterbury Crown Court as prosecutor Martin Yale outlined how she had planned a huge explosion and fireball.

But Judge James O’Mahony heard she hadn’t given enough time for the gas to build up before setting it alight.

She and one other were singed in the incident in April last year which happened after a bust-up with a lover.

D’Souza, who was raised in India, later claimed she wanted revenge after the partner had told her their relationship was over.

Martin Yale, prosecuting, said: “The relationship had broken down and she was upset about the relationship ending and was desperate for it to continue.”

He said in a meeting between the two she became abusive, telling him that he would regret ending the relationship.

Mr Yale said that the night before the incident she repeatedly called her ex-lover telling him “if they couldn’t be together then there’s no point”.

D’Souza had gone to a neighbour’s home and later telephoned her friend, telling her she couldn’t cope without her partner.

“Just before 3.30pm, the neighbour sent D’Souza another text asking if she was alright.

“Shortly afterwards the neighbour began to smell gas and heard an alarm sounding. She then went into her home to ensure her children were alright.

“She then heard a loud knock on the door and saw D’Souza, who was shouting there was a fire and that the house was going to blow up.

“There was smoke coming out of D’Souza’s front door. The neighbour then called the emergency services and D’Souza began crying hysterically. She then crumpled onto the floor saying: ‘What have I done?’, “the prosecutor said.

The judge heard how D’Souza then told her neighbour how she had pulled out the gas pipe and had tried to kill herself.

Mr Yale added: “As she intended to kill herself then she also intended to kill others.”

Firefighters arrived shortly at 3.30pm and, after forcing their way in, they put out a fire in a kitchen and opened the window to ventilate the room.

“The damage to the kitchen was limited but it had clearly been very hot and the carbon monoxide protector above the hob had melted.

“One of the firefighters spoke to D’Souza, who had a singed arm and hair, who told her she had done it but couldn’t go through with it.

“She later told an ambulance technician that she had had an argument with a partner and had tried to set the house alight by removing the gas pipe. She saw a flame, freaked out and left", he added.

"D’Souza began crying hysterically. She then crumpled onto the floor saying: ‘What have I done?’ " - Martin Yale

But before pulling out the gas pipe, she had dismantled a fire alarm and thrown it in a bin along with a broken mobile phone and ripped up photographs, birth certificates and passports.

Judge James O’Mahony heard that two psychiatrists had concluded that D’Souza had not been suffering from any mental illness.

Police had asked her why she did it..and she told them it was a “revenge thing” because her partner had ignored her pleas to stay with her.

Daniel Pawson-Pound, in making a plea for mercy, said: “This was is a tragic and unusual case.”

The case was adjourned for eight days when the judge will sentence her.

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