Rugby player set fire to clubhouse after disabled mother died

Brendan Burke, 24, broke into the bar at Feltham Rugby Football Club in Park Road and set fire to the building, causing £125,000 damage and destroying photographs and trophies.

Isleworth crown court heard how the second team player, whose father is the west London club's maintenance manager, had helped build the clubhouse. But Burke turned to alcohol when his mother, who had multiple sclerosis, died in hospital after suffering "extreme pain".

Burke, of Feltham, was sentenced to a year in prison, suspended for 18 months after pleading guilty to one count of arson and two counts of burglary. Judge Georgina Kent also ordered him to take part in a nine-month alcohol treatment programme and complete 120 hours of unpaid work.

She told him: "You've had a very difficult personal life in the recent past. You've dealt with this by developing a dependency to alcohol."

Ruxana Nasser, prosecuting, said Burke, a carpentry student at West Thames College, broke into the bar on 26 October, removing the door from its hinges. The court heard how he drank Special Brew and spirits before setting fire to the clubhouse.

Mark Stern, defending, said: "He was passionate about rugby and was passionate about the club."

Mr Stern said Burke's mother had suffered epileptic fits and needed 24-hour care before she died on 7 August. He added: "She lost her speech and her sight, and had to be fed. She couldn't move on her own. One cannot under-estimate the effect his mother's illness had on him."