A BARNET man who set fire to his own flat then got a friend to tell his landlady he was dead has been jailed for three years.

James Nash, 25, set fire to his flat in Morrison's Court, Manor Road, on August 14 after hearing his ex-girlfriend had lost their baby.

One witness told police he was high on drugs and booze when Nash told them he was suicidal and had smashed up his flat before starting the fire and heading to a rave in Camden.

An hour later Nash called his landlady and told her he had heard about the fire and was on his way home, but she later got a call from a man with an Irish accent telling her he was dead.

Police treated Nash as a missing person and suspect in the arson. Officers eventually traced the mystery caller and found Nash drinking lager in his kitchen, where he was arrested for arson with intent to endanger life.

He pleaded guilty to the offence on Monday at Wood Green Crown Court and was sentenced to three years in jail.

Detective Sergeant Dan Quigley, the officer in the case, said: "Mr Nash's actions were borne out of a set of very unpleasant personal circumstances, but this does not excuse his subsequent actions.

"The act of arson can lead to people's lives being endangered, including neighbours of the burned property, rescue workers and anyone inside the premises and it is completely without regard to others to set fire to a building.

“I am just glad that in this case no one else was hurt and hopefully the sentence of three years in prison will give Mr Nash a chance to reflect on his actions."