A SAUCHIE woman's home was torched by the internet lover she met just three weeks earlier.

Stacey Braun's flat was wrecked by Paul MacArthur after he set fire to a bottle of Absinthe spirit.

Stacey lost a number of precious items including her late son's ashes, treasured footprints made before he died as well as her two cats.

A judge heard how MacArthur sank the equivalent of almost 20 pints of lager before the blaze.

The 30-year-old is now behind bars after he was jailed for six years at the High Court in Glasgow.

The pair had been in a relationship for less than a month after meeting on a dating website called Tagged.

MacArthur went on to sometimes stay overnight at Stacey's flat.

The court heard how on September 29 – the day of the fire – MacArthur had a “minor argument” with his girlfriend about his dog.

Stacey went across the road to visit a friend and MacArthur later stormed over ranting: “You're dead. I'm not taking any more s*** any more.” He later sent a text stating: “If you phone the police, I will burn your house down with you in it."

Raging MacArthur then followed up: “You might want to go across to your flat – it's on fire."

MacArthur returned to where his lover was and told Stacey she “better go and get her two cats as he had just set fire to her house”.

A stunned Stacey then looked across and saw smoke and flames belching from her flat.

She immediately raced over in a failed bid save her cats and her son's ashes.

Police were soon on the scene and MacArthur stopped officers to confess: “I'm responsible for that. I started the fire. It's gone too far this time – that's why I'm letting you know.” He said he set fire to a blanket on a couch using a bottle of Absinthe as well as vodka.

After being taken to a police station, sick MacArthur went on: “What state's the flat in – are the cats dead? I hope her babies died."

The court heard large parts of Stacey's flat were wrecked due to fire, heat and smoke damage.

Prosecutor Andrew Brown QC said: “Her two cats were killed as a result. The ashes of her dead son – who had been born prematurely and died the same day – were destroyed.

“Handprints and footprints of the infant were also destroyed. She lost the majority of her belongings.” A psychiatrist who later examined MacArthur concluded he had been “frustrated” at the time of the blaze. He had also drank a massive 40 units of alcohol.

The doctor said MacArthur had been suffering from an anti-social personality disorder and that he “struggles” with anger management.

MacArthur pleaded guilty in court to charges of wilful fire-raising and behaving in a threatening manner.

Ewen Roy, defending, said: “He is remorseful and acknowledges that his former girlfriend will continue to be extremely distressed by the outcome of what happened.” Lady Rae told MacArthur the sentence would have been eight years, but for his guilty plea.

The judge told him: “Your conduct could have caused the loss of life. You clearly present a serious risk to the public.” The Advertiser reported on the week of the fire that a Good Samaritan raced to rescue residents from the burning building.

The man, who had asked not to be named, got off the bus he had been travelling on and rushed inside to knock on doors and warn those living there of the danger