A Paphos court on Tuesday sentenced a 30-year-old man to six years in jail after finding him guilty of setting fire to a residence in February this year.

According to police, the arson took place around 3am on February 11. Items on the veranda were set on fire, with the flames spreading inside the house, causing extensive damage.

At the time, inside the house there were six people: a man and a woman aged 42 and 40, their two children aged eight and 12, and the parents of the father, aged 72 and 73.

They managed to break out of the house, and were later examined at Paphos general hospital.

The mother sustained second-degree burns to her hands, and first-degree burns to her face; the father and the 12-year-old suffered from respiratory problems; and the 73-year-old injured his spine and leg in his attempt to escape the flames.

Police subsequently obtained evidence pointing to the 30-year-old as the suspect.

A week later, on February 18, he was arrested at the Ledra Palace crossing point in Nicosia while attempting to flee to the north.