Karl Baker, a man who “terrified” his then-girlfriend by pouring lighter fluid on her and threatening to set her alight has been jailed for three years
A jealous man in an ‘ill-fated’ relationship has been locked up for three years for pouring lighter fluid on his ex-girlfriend and threatening to set her alight.
Karl Baker, 32, was so envious of the woman seeing a former partner that he took a hammer and smashed up a car belonging to the man.
He was also sentenced for other offences including two incidents of dangerous driving, one of which ended with him crashing into and damaging a police car.
Prosecutor Adam Walker told Bradford Crown Court that Baker had entered into a five-week relationship with the woman between August and September last year, but soon became convinced that she was cheating on him with a former boyfriend.
In a prior incident on August 28, Baker, of Laburnum Grove, Lightcliffe, used a hammer to smash the window of the man’s car as it was parked on his drive.
Then, on September 8, during another argument with the woman, Baker slapped, punched and kicked her, before showering her with the lighter fluid.
Mr Walker said: ‘He (Baker) threatened to burn her and poured the lighter fuel on her.’
The court heard that when the woman woke up the following morning, Baker had also drawn a naked man on her chest and scrawled all over her arm.
When the pair later went for a walk, she managed to escape to her mother’s house, with witnesses stating that she still smelt of lighter fluid.
Baker admitted charges of harassment and criminal damage ahead of a proposed trial last week.
Bradford Crown Court, above, heard how Baker turned a Vauxhall Astra’s lights off before losing control as he attempted to perform a handbrake turn
He had already pleaded guilty to two charges of dangerous driving, driving while banned, driving without insurance, driving while under the influence of drugs, and possession of cannabis and a bladed article.
Mr Walker said that on January 28 last year, police officers were on patrol in the Low Moor area of Bradford when they began following a Vauxhall Astra being driven by Baker.
He sped off, reaching speeds of 70mph in 30mph zones, ignoring red lights and driving at oncoming vehicles on the wrong side of the road.
The court heard how Baker then turned the car’s lights off before losing control as he attempted to perform a handbrake turn.
Baker then drove at and hit a police car, before fleeing the vehicle and being caught after a short chase on foot.
On June 15, while on bail for the previous dangerous driving offence, Baker was caught behind the wheel of a Skoda, which again failed to stop for police on Huddersfield Road, Bradford.
He crashed into the back of a BMW before continuing on a chase running red lights and narrowly avoiding collisions with other vehicles.
The pursuit ended when Baker lost control after going the wrong way around a traffic island and crashed into a wall.
A blood sample taken on his arrest tested positive for cocaine, cannabis, and amphetamines. He was also found to be in possession of a small amount of cannabis and a lock knife.
Ashok Khullar, defending, said Baker’s offending had been triggered by the death of his brother from a drug overdose in early 2017.
Mr Khullar said: ‘He (Baker) started to use excessive amounts of drugs and alcohol. He became a man with nothing to lose and offended this way as a result.’
Referring to the harassment charge, Recorder Gurdial Singh said Baker had become involved in an ‘ill-fated’ relationship with the woman.
He said: ‘It is quite clear you resorted to violence towards her. You made threats and to enforce those threats you poured lighter fuel on her. She was absolutely terrified.’
Recorder Singh granted a five-year restraining order between Baker and the woman, and also imposed a three-year driving ban on his release from prison.