A man has been jailed for life after he set his ex-partner’s house on fire while she was asleep.
Nicholas Martin, from Leicester, appeared at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court yesterday (10 November) where he was sentenced to 30 years in prison after previously being found guilty of attempted murder and assault occasioning actual bodily harm at a trial back in September.
The 63-year-old was also made the subject of a life-long restraining order against the victim.
It comes after Martin, at around 5:10am on 22 October 2024, poured petrol through the letterbox of his ex-partner’s house and set it alight before leaving the area.
The victim was initially woken in the middle of the night after hearing her letterbox snapping closed and then heard a crackling sound which resembled a log burner.
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Shortly after she realised her house was on fire, she proceeded to jump out of her first-floor bedroom window to safety, and although she survived the attack, she did suffer two broken ankles and a broken vertebrae in her back from the jump.
Very sadly though, the victim’s pet cat was killed in the fire.
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#JAILED | Man jailed for 30 years after setting fire to victim’s house whilst she slept
Nicholas Martin (28/8/1962) of Bosworth Street, Leicester, was found guilty of attempt murder and assault occasioning actual bodily harm at a trial at the same court on Wednesday 10 September pic.twitter.com/pDj8Clh74G
Martin had been in a relationship with the woman since 2019, but became increasingly controlling over the years, and had been monitoring her movements by installing home cameras, prevented her from seeing family members, constantly criticising her, and even controlling what she could eat, wear, and watch on television.
At the time of the offence, Martin was on bail for a previous assault with conditions in place for him not to contact the victim and to reside in Leicester – but he left his bail address, rented a car, and drove to Worsley.
He booked into a hotel and waited until the middle of the night to execute his attack when he knew his ex-partner would be asleep.
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Martin was arrested on 23 October 2024 at a hotel in the Lake District, where a can containing petrol was recovered in the hotel room wardrobe.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed he made no comment in his police interview and went on to plead ‘not guilty’ at court. Despite later admitting to causing the fire, he claimed he had no intention to kill the woman.
“Martin undertook a campaign of abuse against his victim lasting a number of years,” explained Detective Constable Zoe Bellis, from GMP’s Salford CID following the sentencing.
“His last act nearly resulted in a woman’s death and I am thankful of [the] sentencing result putting this despicable individual behind bars and away from harming other victims.”
Featured Image – GMP
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Greater Manchester among first to get ‘confusing’ rail fares replaced by two simpler options
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester is among the first UK regions to have the current ‘confusing’ range of rail fares replaced by two simpler options.
As it stands, more than a dozen different fares are currently available for journeys on certain train routes, including many which restrict customers to travelling on a particular service or with one train operating company.
But from early next month, all that is set to change.
As of Sunday 7 December, anyone who buys a ticket from any operator on the day they’re travelling between two of the 96 railway stations in Greater Manchester will be offered the following options – ‘anytime’ or ‘off-peak’.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) says the new system aims to make ticketing ‘simpler’ and prices more ‘transparent’, so passengers can trust they’ve got the best value for money.
Greater Manchester is among the first to get ‘confusing’ rail fares replaced by two simpler options / Credit: TPE
All single journeys will be half the price of return trips, which means the average train fare in Greater Manchester will fall by 5.6% overall.
Other types of tickets will still be offered to those who book in advance.
The introduction of the two options are part of the Government’s UK-wide transformation of fares in a bid to make them easier to understand and make journeys more ‘seamless’.
As mentioned, Greater Manchester will be one of the first areas in the country to introduce this type of rail fare reform, and TfGM says it will star to ‘pave the way’ for contactless payments and the already-announced integration with the Bee Network from December 2026 onwards.
BIG NEWS
On 7/12/25, GM sees the biggest change to rail services for 30+ years.
A new fairer, simpler fare system will come in across our 96 stations.
🐝 Singles will be half the price of returns 🐝 Tickets will be valid on any operator 🐝 Average fare will fall by 5.6%
It’s said that more than half of train journeys (52%) will be cheaper, with savings of up to £1.50 on some trips, and as many as 4,000 customers saving money, while on the remaining 48% of journeys, customers will see a slight price increase, but for most of these (85%), it will be a rise of 20p or less.
“For too long, confusion around the complicated web of tickets has been a barrier to people choosing the train,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham.
“We’ve seen that making public transport more affordable and simpler boosts passenger numbers, with more people than ever boarding our yellow buses and integrated tap and go payments with our tram network.
“These simpler fares are a stepping stone to bringing rail into the Bee Network in December 2026, joining up trains with buses, trams, and active travel for an integrated public transport system like those enjoyed by other global cities.”
Featured Image – Northern
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Police issue urgent appeal to help find missing pregnant woman
Danny Jones
Police in Longsight and Moss Side have shared an urgent appeal to help find a pregnant woman who went missing from Manchester this past Thursday.
The 34-year-old, thus far identified only as Jessica, was last seen around 7pm on 6 November.
Believed to be a Longsight local, she was last spotted in the area heading in the direction of Wythenshawe, but also has connections to other Greater Manchester areas.
It has now been over four days since she was most recently seen in person; her friends, family and authorities are understandably growing worried about her welfare.
— Longsight & Moss Side Police (GMP) (@GMPLongsight) November 10, 2025
Described as a white female with long brown hair, she was wearing a big coat and leggings at the time of her disappearance.
While details like her height and particulars surrounding clothing still remain unclear, she is heavily pregnant at around seven months with a noticeable bump.
Obviously, given her pregnancy, she is considered a vulnerable missing persons case.
Sharing a follow-up statement after the original post was shared by Greater Manchester Police (GMP), Longsight and Moss Side’s neighbourhood policing team added: Officers are becoming increasingly concerned about [Jessica] and want to make sure she is found safe and well.
They say that “extensive enquiries” have also been received and looked into since she was initially reported missing to us.
She is also said to have connections not only to the borough of Stockport but people in Manchester city centre, as well.
Officers are therefore asking anyone with any info they think might be helpful; you can contact the services via 101 quoting MSP/06A3/000/1558/25. As always, in the case of emergencies, please dial 999immediately.
Emily Sergeant -
11th November 2025 
