'I feared I'd die after my ex set my home on fire'

A woman who woke up to the "absolute terror" of her home being ravaged by a fire caused by her ex-husband's "murder terror plot" is dedicating her life to help other domestic abuse survivors.

Nicholas Martin was jailed in November for 30 years for pouring petrol through the letterbox of his former wife's house in Worsley, Salford, and set it alight in the middle of the night in October 2024.

Emma Martin was woken by her letterbox rattling and managed to escape out of the first-floor bedroom window.

She feared she was going to die, and as she heals from her physical and psychological injuries, she wants to share her story to "make a difference".

Emma suffered from smoke inhalation and broke both her ankles and a vertebra in her back in her terrifying escape after Nicholas Martin, who was jailed for attempted murder and grievous bodily harm for a previous assault targeted her home.

Looking back at the darkest days of her ordeal, Emma said: "I lost everything - I even lost my cat in the fire but the psychological injuries were the hardest to deal with."

She said she had post-traumatic stress disorder and flashbacks to the fire and could not eat or sleep.

While she continues to suffer from both the physical and psychological effects of the terrifying trauma, she said she was proud to have made "fantastic progress" in her road to recovery which has seen the civil servant return to work.

"Getting past the trial and knowing he is probably going to die in prison gave me peace of mind," she said.

Emma, who was represented by Hudgell Solicitors, said she was aided by "amazing" help from their charity partners Day One Trauma Support, which helped empower her to share her experiences with other survivors of domestic abuse.

"They've been with me every step of the way and have given me the confidence to create my own support network," she said.

"This definitely feels like this is my year and I'm really positive about the future.

The 52-year-old is now getting involved with charities like White Ribbon UK which works to prevent violence against women and girls by addressing the root causes of men's violence.

She was also working with Women's Aid which seeks to end domestic abuse and provides life-saving services to women and children.

Emma is also planning sessions with community partners "who might appreciate first-hand experience".

"This means a lot to me as I want to do more to support other people as I think my experiences could help other people," she said.

"I've lots of other ideas, and to progress with the charity work is something I'm really keen on.

"I don't ever want to give up on this as I think I can make a difference."

"I can't thank Day One enough as I've now got a whole bunch of new friends and charity engagements – I'm so busy I can't keep up," she added.

Emma has also reconnected with her children and her mother after having been left "isolated" by her ex-husband's abusive behaviour.

Nicholas Martin was on bail for assaulting Emma on holiday in Scotland in August 2021 at the time of the attempted murder.

He was ordered not to contact her and to stay in Leicester but instead Greater Manchester Police said he booked into a hotel and waited until the middle of the night to attack Emma's house.

Nicholas Martin was arrested the next day at a hotel in the Lake District, where a can containing petrol was recovered in the hotel room wardrobe.

Despite later admitting to causing the fire, he claimed he had no intention to kill his ex-partner but was convicted after a trial at Manchester Crown Court Minshull Street.

In a powerful victim impact statement read out in court, Emma said: "Martin's vile and monstrous actions have utterly destroyed and decimated my life through his abuse of me during our relationship, and the continuation and heinous escalation of his abuse of me after our relationship ended."

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