A DISTURBED woman who set fire to the 12th century parish church of St John at Cutcombe, causing damage of nearly £120,000, last August has walked from court with a suspended prison sentence.

Grace Coles, 36, of Wheddon Cross, built a bonfire of pamphlets, prayer books and the visitors' book, destroyed 150-year-old pews and part of the wooden floor and damaged the remainder of the church with smoke.

Taunton Crown Court was told she had visited her sister's grave and was upset by a comment in the visitors' book which suggested she should have died in an earlier blaze she started in the church.

She admitted arson and was sentenced to 12 months suspended for two years with two years' supervision, a six-month curfew with electronic tagging, and mental health treatment.

She was also banned from entering an exclusion zone around Cutcombe.

The judge said her progress throughout the supervision period would be carefully monitored and reviewed every month by the court for six months.

Janice Eagles, prosecuting, said Coles's sister died in 2008 and was buried in the churchyard. The church was open from dawn to dusk for visitors and in May last year Coles started a fire after becoming upset by something in the visitors' book.

She was given 16 weeks' custody for arson and was released from prison in August.

About two weeks later she visited the church again and read an entry expressing the wish that she should have died in the fire.

"This appears to have triggered her to start another fire in the church," said Miss Eagles.

Investigators discovered two seats to the fire - the first, caused when a local newsletter was set alight, caused only minor damage.

But the second was a much larger fire, involving pews and the floor, and the repairs came to £119,937 - "very extensive damage to a small church with a very small congregation. The church was insured but had to pay £500 excess," she added.

"The Crown say she set light to the church and left about 8.30 that evening and spoke to her mother saying 'I'm in deep s... n ow'.

"She added that she had got rid of the visitors' book and said 'help me mum'. Her mother was not aware of the fire at that time.

"Coles was arrested shortly after and said she could not remember the actual fire and how it started. All she could remember was entering the church and "something got to her" in the visitors' book and then she saw the fire and smelt smoke.

"I understand there are various reports that she's still saying she cannot remember exactly what happened inside the church," said Miss Eagles.

In December, Coles was not well enough to attend court and instructed her barrister that she could not remember what happened. On January 11, she pleaded guilty to arson.

There was concern over security of the church and what would happen if she was sent to prison because it would mean releasing her without supervision, she said.

Miss Eagles said Coles had a previous record of 74 offences and 21 court appearances including a lot of hoax calls to the emergency services and drink-related offending.

Emma Martin, for Coles, said it was a serious fire with serious consequences and aggravating features.

Coles had an extensive criminal record because of her psychiatric condition. She had an unstable personality disorder and had previously been reluctant to accept help, but the case had been a turning point and frightened her.

During 198 days on remand in custody, she had a health scare and was also told her mother had been taken ill.

"She was terrified she would be released after her mother had died and that's been a real shock to her.

"She's worried about her own health and her mother's health and has started to open up to those trying to help her.

"The offence was very much tied up with the loss of her sister. They were a close family living in an isolated area and the fire was an emotional reaction to what she read.

"It was simple arson with no intent to endanger life."

Recorder Stewart Patterson said some of the items she destroyed were probably irreplaceable and lighting fires was always a risk to those who had to deal with them.

A psychiatric report suggested she suffered from amnesia after the fire. She had an alcohol problem and a history in teenage years which resulted in difficulty trying to form a proper relationship. The isolated life she led with her family contributed to it.

The judge said he had to consider whether she was a risk of serious harm to the public and arson carried a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Handing down a suspended sentence, he said: "I have taken the view that the risk can be so substantially reduced that I have no need to impose a custodial sentence."

He said she would have to keep in touch with the probation officer responsible for her case and commit no offence anywhere in the UK.