by Julia Roberts

A teenager said to have suffered a "dismal home life" with his alcoholic mother set fire to the house they shared as a cry for help, a court heard.

Joe Krise, 17, had been drinking and taking diazepam, when, with an "overwhelming sense of desperation" he torched the mid-terrace property in Milton Road, Gillingham, in February.

Maidstone Crown Court was told by the teenager's barrister, Sara Haroon, that he had suffered years of emotional and physical abuse, as well as neglect, and "had never known or experienced love".

When he started the blaze Miss Haroon said Krise was suffering from stress and depression, compounded by the fact they were facing eviction and he had been told his mother only had six months to live.

She added, however, that despite his mother's frequent reminders of her condition, it is still "unclear" if it was true.

Describing the fire as an "impulsive act", Miss Haroon explained: "It all became too much and he wanted out."

The court heard Krise's mother was in the house when he set fire to a pile of clothing in the living room behind the property.

However, as the fire took hold and she began to choke, Krise helped her out of the house before retreating upstairs from where he was eventually rescued by the fire service.

Krise admitted arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered. His plea of not guilty to arson with intent to endanger life was accepted by the prosecution and ordered to be left on file.

The landlord later estimated the damage to the three-bedroomed house, which was left uninhabitable, at £50,000, although prosecutor Alex Woods said the figure had not been independently corroborated.

Krise, who wore rosary beads in court, also admitted common assault relating to when he bit a police officer's leg as he was being restrained.

Ordering that he be locked up for a total of four years, Judge David Griffith-Jones QC said he accepted Krise acted on impulse "out of feelings of hopelessness, helplessness and frustration".

But the judge added that the consequences of his "wicked act" could have been disastrous, if not fatal.

Krise, who has previous convictions for criminal damage and assaulting police, will serve half his sentence, less 150 days already spent on remand.

Ironically, the court was told that while in custody Krise had, for the first time in his life, found "all his basic needs and requirements" cared for.

"It has liberated him from the stress and pressure of living at home and caring for his mother," said Miss Haroon.