Woman, 39, jailed for flat fire and deodorant explosion

A 39-year-old woman who set her flat on fire before causing an explosion outside her ex-partner’s home has been jailed for six years.

At about 2.10am on December 21, 2022, Lauren Marie Talbot, previously of Northampton, set multiple fires inside her Shelley Street flat in Kingsley.

When fire crews arrived to put it out, they found writing on the wall which read “This flat can burn in hell”.

Talbot was arrested in connection with the fire and subsequently charged with arson with intent.

But that wasn’t the end of her offending, because on June 18, 2023, she pre-planned an attack - travelling to her ex-partner’s flat in Drapery, Northampton, just after 8pm, and with her hood up, lighting a bottle of butane gas and trying to post it through his letter box.

When this failed, she left the bottle burning outside his front door which caused a huge explosion – blowing two doors open, cracking the walls and causing structural damage, and burning the carpet.

Luckily her ex-partner was not in at the time, though evidence suggested she thought he would be, and thankfully no one was injured.  

Talbot was caught a short time later and charged with arson with intent to endanger life, pleading guilty to both offences in September last year at Northampton Crown Court.

She returned to the same court this week (January 16) where she was sentenced to six years in prison with an extended period of four years.

Detective Constable Roisin Harrison said: “Lauren Talbot’s offending was exceptionally dangerous. She could have killed someone as a result of both offences and it’s through sheer luck that no one was injured.

“As you can see in the footage, the carnage she created when she set that can of butane on fire is extensive. It could very easily have ended with a large fire throughout the block of flats, causing untold damage, and I hope this is something she reflects on during her time in prison.

“I also want to take this opportunity to thank the man in this case who has supported our investigation from the beginning. Luckily he was not in his flat that day, but the incident has understandably had a very real effect on him. I hope this result provides him with some semblance of closure.

“I am pleased to see Talbot handed this sentence and I hope it shows how seriously Northamptonshire Police take these kinds of incidents.”

“Detective Sergeant Pete Ticehurst said: “I’d like to commend both DC Roisin Harrison and DC Angela McKay for their investigations into Lauren Talbot. Their diligence and hard work led to her guilty pleas and a fantastic sentence of six years in prison.”