TWO masked men who attempted to "firebomb" a terraced house in Carlisle have each been given jail terms of four and a half years.

Liam Gearing, 19, formerly of Warwick Square in Carlisle, and Harry Robinson, 22, formerly of Currock Park Avenue, Carlisle both admitted attempting to commit arson with intent to endanger life.

Their motivation was revenge following a dispute over a debt, Carlisle Crown Court heard.

The two attackers arrived outside their intended victim's home in South Street, Carlisle, in a stolen car on the evening of 28 May, 2023. Gearing had a bottle of spirits wrapped in a paper bag and attempted to light it before throwing it into an address.

The victim - a mother-of -two - later described hearing someone banging and kicking her front door immediately before the attack.

She then heard someone shout “he’s thrown a petrol bomb in!” as a bottle with a lit rag was pushed through a hole in her front door - a hole that had been made by one of the attackers.

Fortunately, the "firebomb" did not explode. Both men were arrested and subsequently admitted the offences at court.

Detective Sergeant Gary Story said the attack could easily have resulted in tragedy.

"Any incident which involves flames and a family home is a terrible mixture and both defendants should be thankful that their actions did not have more serious consequences,” he added.

Both defendants were jailed for 54 months.

For a full report of the sentencing hearing, see tomorrow's News & Star.