A man was this morning jailed two years suspended for four and fined €2,500 after he admitted setting fire to a sofa, damaging cars and property, being drunk, breaching the peace and harassing his girlfriend.

The incident happened on October 30, 2007 following an argument which the man, Carmelo Camilleri, 53, of Zurrieq, had with his girlfriend Mary Rose Chircop.

On the night in question he went for a drink then went to Ms Chircop's birthday party, which was being held at the Qormi Bocci Club. However, he left soon after as Ms Chircop did not want him there.

He waited for her at the house they shared in Triq San Gorg, Qormi and they started arguing as soon as she arrived.

During the argument he set a sofa on fire by lighting a match to it, went out crashed the windscreen of a car with a gas cylinder and damaged a second car.

In his judgement, Mr Justice Lawrence Quintano said that the damage to both cars had been paid for, there had been no one in the house when the sofa was set on fire and, according to the court expert, no damage to another building could have been caused.

Moreover, his girlfriend's family had forgiven him.

Joe Giglio and Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi were defence lawyers.