A woman left staff at a petrol station “frightened for their life” after threatening to burn the garage down in a late-night tirade.

Stephanie Jayne Burden, whose address was given as High Street, Fordington, appeared before Weymouth Magistrates’ Court on Friday, October 28 where she was handed a suspended sentence.

Burden, 34, was charged with one count of threats to damage / destroy property, one count of using threatening or abusive words or behaviour likely to cause harassment and one count of committing an offence whilst subject to a conditional discharge.

At about 9.30pm on July 2 of this year, Burden, walked into the Shell Garage on London Road, Dorchester with a friend to purchase lighter gas.

When she was told the garage didn’t sell lighter gas she launched into a foul-mouthed tirade aimed at the shopworker.

She left but returned shortly after when she took goods from the shop and knocked the chewing gum stand on the floor: she was refused service for alcohol because the shopworker believed Burden to be drunk.

While Burden’s friend was paying for the goods, the victim – a staff member at the garage – noticed Burden standing outside waving a lighter around and saying “I have a lighter, I have a lighter, I’ll burn the place down”.

The victim said she was “frightened for her life” and immediately pressed the panic button.

Burden walked over to pump two, picked the pump up and said “I’m going to set fire to the f**king place” whilst attempting to spray petrol from the nozzle.

Her friend intervened and moved her away from the garage.

Mitigating, Simon Lacey, said Burden was “sorry and realised she was wrong” and added “it was an issue she’s an alcoholic which is why she needs to go to rehab”.

He added his client “deserved a lot of credit for being honest from the start”.

Mr Lacey said Burden knew numerous friends who had died young and realised if she didn’t “get to grips” then it could be her next.

Stephanie Jayne Burden received a four month custodial sentence, suspended for a year, and is required to undergo a 12-month alcohol treatment requirement, 35 days of rehabilitation activity requirement days, and is excluded from the premises of the Shell Garage for a year.

Burden was also ordered to pay £250 compensation to the victim.