A BUSINESSMAN who started a fire that forced people to jump from windows has been told he will receive a long prison sentence for his “appalling” crime.

Martin Nganga was yesterday convicted of arson with intent to endanger life on January 29 last year, when he set fire to a house in Mallard Close, Blackbird Leys, Oxford.

The 46-year-old, of Tiverton Road, Wembley, showed no emotion as he was found unanimously guilty by a jury following a seven-day trial at Oxford Crown Court.

Judge Ian Pringle told him: “You have been convicted unanimously of the most serious offence of arson with intent to endanger life.

“It is very fortunate indeed that no one died as a result of your appalling acts in January last year.

“You are likely to receive a very substantial custodial sentence.”

Prosecutor Rebecca Austin said Nganga’s phone and the van he was driving had both been tracked from his home in Tiverton, Devon, to the scene of the crime.

The barrister said the prosecution believed his intended target was Peter Kiriamburi, who he had known since they met in Kenya in 1999.

Miss Austin said Nganga had been close friends with Mr Kiriamburi, who had even acted as best man at the defendant’s wedding to Lilian Kibunja.

She said: “[The defendant] believed that Peter had an affair with his wife. [He] believed that Peter had caused the end of his relationship and the end of his marriage.”

Miss Austin said another piece of evidence came from businessman Mathew Brine, who had given Nganga a van to clean the day before the fire, and had fitted it with a tracking device.

The barrister said the van was tracked from Tiverton to Brambling Way in Blackbird Leys at 1.44am, where it stayed until 2.40am, then back along the M5 until it ran out of diesel.

After the verdict Detective Constable Arran Cliff from Force CID Abingdon said: “This was a terrible crime.

“The fire that Martin Nganga started in the early hours of January 29 last year risked the lives of the five people who were asleep in the house at the time.

“Due to ferocity of the fire the residents had to jump out of upstairs windows and two of these sustained serious injuries whilst escaping from the fire.

“This unanimous guilty verdict for arson with intent to endanger life shows that crimes like this will be thoroughly investigated and dealt with.

“It is vital for the victims to know that justice has been done. I would like to thank the victims for their patience while the investigation took place.”

Nganga will now be sentenced after psychiatric and pre-sentence reports have been prepared on July 31.