AN ANGRY husband videoed himself burning the clothes of his estranged wife in an act of revenge after the breakdown of their marriage.

Soosaipillai Jeyakumar, 47, set his wife’s pricey Sri Lankan dresses alight after she ended their 17-year relationship.

He then filmed the fire on a mobile phone and sent it to her via a mobile messaging application.

Despite the separation, Jeyakumar was living in the marital home at the time of the incident, on January 17.

Southampton Magistrates’ Court was told that Jeyakumar’s ex-wife had left the house and was staying with friends when she received a phone call from the defendant.

Prosecuting, Natalie Angel said: “He (Jeyakumar) was angry and drunk so she asked him to cut the call and she blocked him.

“That evening she received a video from the defendant via the application Viber, which showed dresses being burned.

“In the background she could see a red dress which she recognised was hers.”

Ms Angel said Jeyakumar sent another message the following day in which he threatened to end his life by drinking pesticide.

She added: “She was concerned so she rang the police.”

Ms Angel said the dresses, which were from Sri Lanka, were worth an estimated £1,500.

Mitigating, Nicola Attwood said Jeyakumar was hurt over the breakdown of their marriage.

Ms Attwood said that the idea for burning his ex-wife’s clothes came from a Tamil tradition.

Jeyakumar, of Brockhurst Road, Gosport, pleaded guilty to one count of arson.

Magistrates sentenced him to an 18-month community order, including 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Jeyakumar was also ordered to pay £500 in compensation to his ex-wife and £85 in court costs.