A MAN who murdered his partner by putting her on to a blazing sofa has been jailed for life.

University graduate Victoria Barker, 30, was found dead in the burnt out remains of the living room of the flat she shared with 46-year-old John Collings.

Newcastle Crown Court was told the couple's violent relationship had been beset by alcohol problems .

It was said Miss Barker, who had a degree in environmental science from York University, had turned to drink after becoming involved in a previous unhappy relationship and had lost her job with The National Rivers Authority as a result.

Prosecutor Toby Hedworth told the court that in August 2000, Collings, a former union representative with a degree in politics, placed the severely intoxicated Miss Barker on to the burning settee in the ground floor flat in Coquet Gardens, South Stanley.

Mr Hedworth said: "Death was due to the effects of the fire and burns but other factors such as inhalation of toxic gases was likely to have played a part.

"When Victoria Barker's blood was tested in two separate tests it was found to contain 420 and 432mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood.

"Those levels indicate a severe degree of intoxication and lie within the range associated with fatalities. Even a person accustomed to the effects of alcohol would be severely incapacitated."

The court was told that both Collings and a police officer had made efforts to rescue Miss Barker but were beaten back by smoke.

The blaze was initially thought to be an accident before it was revealed that Collings' many versions of events before the fire did not match the physical evidence.

And a chilling phone call said to have been made by Collings to a former boyfriend of Miss Barker warned he would get a 'surprise' that day.

Mr Hedworth added: "It became clear this was not an accident. Victoria Barker had been deliberatley killed by this defendant."

After the fire Collings, originally of Tanfield Lea, spent weeks in hospital before he was deemed fit to be questioned by the police. But none of his accounts were said to be consistent with evidence.

Mr Hedworth said Collings, who had also been drinking when the fire broke out, waited to raise the alarm until it was too late to save Miss Barker.

Collings, who was living at Dene Street, Hexham, at the time of his arrest, denied murder. He was found guilty after 14 hours deliberation by a jury.

Mr Justice Field sentenced him to life, saying: "Victoria Barker was highly unable to protect herself because as you well knew she was extremely drunk. She was defenceless. You took advantage of her defencelessnes, you started a fire and you killed her in that fire."

Speaking after the verdict, one of the leading officers in the case Det Sgt Ken Donnelly said: "Victoria's parents Stanley and Margaret just feel that whatever the verdict, nothing will bring her back. They hope they can now start to repair their lives, even if it is without their only child.

"This has been very difficult for them. Victoria had a difficult last couple of years. Since her death it has been very hard for her parents to cope with the circumstances in which she died.

"At the time of her death and in the months she spent with Collings she was a very vulnerable woman indeed."

He said the investigation was hampered by the fact that Mr Collings as well as being responsible for murder was the sole surviving witness.