Husband torched his new wife’s wedding dress when she walked out on him after ten months
The pair had fallen out after James Ratcliffe brought home an air rifle which he wanted to store in their child's bedroom
A HUSBAND torched his wife's wedding dress during a ''thermonuclear'' meltdown when she walked out on him after just 10 months of marriage.
James Ratcliffe, 35, sent the £1,000 gown up in smoke in a fit of pique when his spouse Nicola went to her parents house following a row.
The charred remains of the dress were later found dumped in the couple's back garden when Mrs Ratcliffe, 34, returned to the matrimonial home in Macclesfield, Cheshire the following morning.
It emerged the newlyweds - who had a two year old daughter - had fallen out after Ratcliffe brought home an air rifle which he wanted to store it in the child's bedroom. He also damaged a baby monitor, baby thermometer and mobile phone charger.
At Macclesfield Magistrates' Court, IT worker Ratcliffe admitted admitted arson and criminal damage.
The court heard that the pair had been in a relationship for six years, and got married in August 2015.
related stories
They had a two-year-old daughter and he had an eight-year-old son from a previous relationship.
Debbie Byrne, prosecuting, said: "At 4.30pm on June 12 Nicola came home to find the defendant had brought home an air rifle, for it to be stored in one of the children's bedrooms.
"She was uncomfortable with having it in the house and asked him to get rid of it. He refused, so she left with their daughter to go to her parents' house.
"He told her 'she wouldn't have a home to come back to, I will burn it down'. She did not take the threats seriously and left with their child.
"When she returned the following morning with her father and brother she saw that her wedding dress had be burnt and left on the back garden."
When he was interviewed Ratcliffe said that he had had a glass of whiskey, but was not drunk at the time of the offence.
He admitted that he went "thermonuclear" at 11.30pm after the argument, and admitted that he burnt the dress because it had a ''significance'' to his wife.
Ratcliffe said he held a naked flame to the dress, and also damaged a Samsung phone charger, a baby monitor and a baby thermometer.
He said he had damaged these items because they held significance and they had previously argued about the volume of the baby monitor when he was trying to sleep, the court was told.
Mrs Byrne added: "He told police he had a moment of rage when she told him she was leaving. He described himself as going thermonuclear.
"He set the wedding dress alight using a naked flame. He said it was a moment of complete stupidity.
''He said the dress was symbolic. He denied that that he said he would 'torch' the house saying it was something he would never do as it would cost him £75,000."
Also during he interview he told police that he thought the marriage would be over because that's what Nicola wants.
Jenny Field, mitigating, said: "He has lost his job because of this. He will continue working with the professionals he has been working with.
"He must now concentrate on getting employment so to be able to provide for his children."
Magistrate Barbra Shaw said: "This was reckless, I am glad you are acknowledging your problems.
"We have taken into account your no previous convictions and culpability.
"We hope that the sentence will help you to address the problems that you have."
Ratcliffe was given a 12 month community order, and a 15 day rehabilitation requirement.
He was also fined £80 and ordered to pay court costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £85.
No compensation or restraining orders were given.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368.