A 47-year-old Castletown woman who started a fire at her commissioners owned property has been put on probation for two years.

Lucy Jane Ashton claimed she was testing fire alarms when a pair of underwear and a jumper caught fire.

She appeared before Deputy High Bailiff Rachael Braidwood on January 13 and was also ordered to pay £125 prosecution costs.

The court previously heard that emergency services received a 999 call from a female on December 20, at 2.45am, reporting a fire.

The Fire Service went to Ashton’s address and found the front door wide open, with a smell of burning coming from inside the property, but no ongoing fire.

Ashton was upstairs and shouted: ‘I’m up here. I’ve put the fire out as I remembered my fire training from when I was an air hostess.’

A small plastic bottle which was thought to contain an accelerant was nearby, so fire officers suspected the fire had not been accidental.

Ashton claimed she had been testing the fire alarm, saying: ‘I wanted to check it was working with a bit of paper.

‘I’m fire trained. I know exactly how to put something out as quickly as possible.’

She said that she had then found a pair of underwear and a jumper on fire, so she got three cups of water and poured them over it to put it out.

In April, Ashton was put on probation for two years, for common assault.

Defence advocate Helen Lobb said that Ashton had offered to repaint the banister spindle that was damaged and was a lady with vulnerabilities.

Ms Lobb said that her client was receiving assistance from the Drug and Alcohol Team and moving in a positive direction.

Ashton will pay the prosecution costs at a rate of £10 per week, deducted from benefits.