A 38-YEAR-OLD man who blamed his 'controlling and abusive' father for wrecking his childhood has been jailed for setting fire to the family home and hurling a brick through the window.

Mohammed Akbar carried out the revenge attacks at the house in Cecil Avenue, Great Horton, Bradford, after falling out with his dad about damage to plant pots, Bradford Crown Court heard.

Akbar used his bedroom curtains to set his bed on fire before throwing his house keys at his mother and telling her what he had just done, prosecutor Alesha Kaye said today.

She managed to douse the flames with water.

Akbar wandered the streets until after midnight before returning to throw a brick through the living room window.

Akbar pleaded guilty to reckless arson on October 8 and criminal damage in the early hours of October 9.

He was jailed for two years after telling the police it was 'a cry for help'.

His barrister, Isobel Thomas, said Akbar had a difficult relationship with his 'controlling and abusive' father.

He had been forced to work long hours in the family shop as a youngster and felt he had lost much of his childhood.

Akbar turned to cannabis to cope and was taking Class A drugs by the time he was 18, Miss Thomas said.

He was a married man with two children and his family was living at his parents' address at the time.

Akbar, who was remanded in custody following his arrest, told his psychiatrist he wanted to anger his father but did not want to hurt anyone.

He said he destroyed the bed because his father had paid for it.

"It was 38 years of built up frustration and anger towards his father," Miss Thomas said.

"It was a backlash against his difficult upbringing and the difficult relationship he has had with his father."

Akbar had previous convictions for possession of drugs but none for arson and violent offences.

Miss Thomas said he had been in custody for more than three months.

Judge David Hatton QC said Akbar was now homeless so the probation service was unable to work with him.

His psychiatrist found that he posed a significant risk of harm.

"It was purely fortuitous that no greater damage occurred than did," the judge said.

He added: "This was a moment of anger aimed at your father after a very difficult period during which your anger had been building up."