Jilted lover ‘tried to set ex on fire’

Man poured petrol over his former partner and told her ‘we’re going to die’, attempted murder trial is told

A WOMAN told a jury she ‘thought she was going to die’ when her jilted ex poured petrol over her in his car and tried to set fire to her.

Dr Georgina Ingall told Gary Travers their relationship was over and he started counting down from five after dousing her with petrol, a jury heard.

She managed to escape from the car with the help of a passing woman.

Travers denies attempted murder.

A ‘ TERRIFIED’ woman told jurors she ‘thought she was going to die’ when her jilted ex tried to burn them both to death in his car and told her: ‘We’re going to die together.’

Waterlooville psychologist Dr Georgina Ingall was locked in Gary Travers’ Audi TT before he poured two litres of petrol over her while trying to spark a lighter, Portsmouth Crown Court heard at the start of a five-day trial.

‘Heartbroken’ Travers, 43, had ‘hopes’ of saving the relationship after arranging to meet Ms Ingall at the White Hart pub car park in Hambledon Road, Denmead, on Christmas Eve last year.

The defendant gave Ms Ingall flowers and Prosecco once she was in the car but after being told the relationship was over he reached for a bottle which had been filled with petrol, jurors were told.

Ms Ingall, 47, giving evidence behind a screen, said: ‘(Travers) was saying: “We’re going to die and we’re going to die together”.

‘He then got a lighter from somewhere and said “this is it” before starting to count down “five, four, three…”.

‘He kept asking me if I was “is ready to die”.’

But after resigning herself to death, Ms Ingall found the strength to rally after thinking of her children.

Despite being covered in petrol and with limited vision after petrol had gone in her eyes while feeling lightheaded from the fumes, the ‘trapped’ victim struggled to find a way out with the passenger door handle not working.

The martial arts student summoned all her strength as Travers throttled her round the neck to prevent her getting out of the car.

‘I started hammering the window. I was fighting for my life,’ she told jurors.

She added: ‘ Then a door opened and a lady grabbed me round the waist and was shouting “let her go” while Gary was trying to pull me back.’

The court was told the pair formed a relationship in February 2018 before Travers moved in with Ms Ingall.

But in November last year she asked the defendant to move out after discovering a cocaine wrapper in the house having previously warned him she did not want drugs in her property.

As a way of ‘saying goodbye’ Ms Ingall agreed to meet Travers at the pub car park just after 10am on Christmas Eve.

Travers, of no fixed address but who was living with his parents in Hedge End, told police after his arrest he only intended to kill himself in front of his former partner – not her.

He denies attempted murder, making threats to kill and false imprisonment.

(Proceeding)