A Tenby man, jealous at the thought his former girlfriend was with another man, set fire to the house she was staying at, a jury heard on Wednesday.

Dominic Fecci, aged 26, is also accused of damaging the kitchen of the property during the same incident in the early hours of New Year's Day 2008.

Fecci, of Upper Frog Street, denies arson and causing criminal damage.

Jade Marie Broadhurst told the court how she agreed to 'house sit' a property in Lower Park Road, Tenby, while the occupant, her aunt Katherine Broadhurst, holidayed in America.

She visited various pubs around the centre of Tenby on New Year's Eve and bumped into Fecci, her former partner. She described the relationship as 'off and on', but 'off' at that stage.

Miss Broadhurst said she had not intended to go out and Fecci seemed to be angry to see her on the town without him knowing.

Miss Broadhurst returned to her aunt's house where she met up with a friend, Celia McGilloway, who was sleeping there so she could get to work at thenearby Five Ways Spar store on time the following morning.

But soon afterwards, Miss Broadhurst decided to walk to her grandmother's house, leaving Miss McGilloway alone in the house.

Later that morning, she discovered she had received text messages from Fecci reading, 'You're a slag' and 'You're with Sean.'

Miss McGilloway said she had gone to sleep and had not realised Miss Broadhurst had left the house in the middle of the night.

She said she awoke to see Fecci standing in the doorway of her bedroom, asking where Miss Broadhurst was.

"He said he thought she was with another man. He was quite angry, jealous," she added.

After looking around the house for Miss Broadhurst she went back to bed, only to see Fecci again in her bedroom, but this time wearing only boxer shorts. He climbed into her bed, but then left.

But he returned, again in boxers, and again got into her bed. So she decided to leave and telephoned her mother in Lamphey.

Miss Broadhurst said as her mother arrived to collect her outside the Five Ways Spar she saw Fecci walk past. Fearing he may have left the house unsecured, she asked her mother to drive the short distance back.

By then, a fire alarm was going off and she could see smoke.

Miss McGilloway said she dialled 999 and, while waiting for a fire engine, again saw Fecci.

This time he ran into the burning building looking, she thought, for Miss Broadhurst.

The trial continues.