Woman torched Land Rover of 'evil badger man' in mistaken bid for revenge over dead cat

A woman who torched her neighbour's Land Rover in a bizarre attempt to kill badgers has been spared jail-despite causing nearly £20,000 of damage.

Susan Lupton, 63, believed the animals had killed a local cat and deliberately set fire to Graham Lee's vehicle after branding him an "evil badger man."

But a court heard the cat in question had in fact died of old age.

Devestating attack

Wildlife volunteer Mr Lee, who left food out for badgers at his home in the coastal village of Freshwater Bay on the Isle of Wight, was left devastated after the June 20, 2024 attack.

Lupton, a writer, admitted two counts of arson at Isle of Wight Crown Court but was spared prison and banned from entering the Freshwater area. She has since relocated to Newport.

Set the car alight

Joanna Staples, prosecuting, told the court Lupton slid a plastic container filled with white spirit under Mr Lee's Land Rover Freelander and set it alight.

The blaze gutted the 4x4 and spread to a neighbouring property, destroying everything from a cooker extractor fan to a Japanese maple tree. Total damage was estimated at £18,500.

Homes in the area average around £400,000-almost twice the national average.

Mr Lee, who attempted to put out the flames with a hose before fire crews arrived, said: "The badgers have not come back to my property since the incident a year ago."

Admitted responsibility

The court heard Lupton admitted responsibility when police arrived and later posted on Facebook calling Mr Lee an "evil badger man."

She also claimed a firefighter friend told her how to start the blaze. The court was told she suffers from bipolar disorder and moved to the UK from South Africa in 1980.

In a powerful victim impact statement, Mr Lee said Lupton was a "sick, twisted and manipulative individual" and described living in fear she would return with "some matches."

He also described the loss of his "pride and joy" Land Rover as "beyond words", adding: "Her actions ruined my life."