​A former beauty queen and swimming champion who set fire to her boyfriend’s van when he tried to cool their relationship has walked free from court.

Georgina Phair poured petrol on the bonnet of Malon Kelly’s van before setting it alight and causing an explosion which shook the neighbourhood, Gloucester Crown Court heard.

Before starting the blaze, which caused £4,000 of damage, the 26-year-old model and swimming instructor, had called Mr Kelly saying: “You are going to get it. Something’s going to happen to you.”

Phair, who has been Britain’s entrant in competitions including Miss Bikini World and has also represented the country as a swimmer in butterfly events, admitted committing arson on November 31, 2008.

Judge William Hart sentenced her to 40 weeks’ jail suspended for two years and placed her under supervision.

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The case had been repeatedly delayed so psychiatrists could investigate whether Phair, of Suffolk Square, Cheltenham, was suffering from a mental condition that needed treatment rather than punishment.

But the judge said the protracted medical assessment had been a “damp squib” and she had not been found in need of any treatment the court could order.

Martin Steen, prosecuting, told the court at an earlier hearing the pair had been in an intimate relationship for five months. In November 2008, he was trying to discourage their relationship. He began to receive text messages indicating that Phair was not happy about the situation.

Mr Steen said: “On November 30, he received a phone message from her at home. In it she said ‘You are going to get it. Something’s going to happen to you’.”

At 7pm there was an explosion as Mr Kelly’s van burst into flames on his driveway in the Suffolks area of Cheltenham.

Gavin Charlton, who had just parked nearby, told police: “After I saw the flames I saw a person exiting the driveway and walking towards a blue Peugeot 307. I could clearly see this woman was carrying what looked like a petrol can.

“I kept her in sight. She walked briskly towards the driver’s door of the Peugeot, opened the door and started the engine.

“She drove off rapidly towards Suffolk Road. She didn’t put the headlights on the car. I dialled 999.” Police traced her car while firefighters fought the blaze, made more dangerous because there were gas bottles in the back, which could have exploded.

David Martin, defending at the earlier hearing, said Phair had said: ‘I know I committed a serious offence. I accept this. I just hope now more than ever I will be offered some help and treatment to finally resolve this so I can move on with my life.”

But at the sentencing hearing the judge was told that medical investigations had drawn a blank and Phair was not suffering from any condition in need of treatment.

Though the judge refused to further defer sentence, he said he felt “fortified” in his decision to suspend sentence by the fact that she had not committed any other offences in the past 15 months and was of previous good character.

“That gives me reason to believe this may be an isolated incident which will not be repeated,” he said.

On modelling and social networking websites, Phair describes herself as a slim, hazel-eyed, 8st woman with vital statistics of 34-23-33 and says she has worked as a model.

A former Tewkesbury School and Balcarras School pupil, she claims to have taken part in Miss Great Britain, Miss Bikini World Malta and Miss Tourism World Africa.

She says she has featured on London Weekend Television as a photographic model.

She also says she was a national champion swimmer, once ranked the third fastest woman in Great Britain at 50 metres butterfly.