KUCHING - A woman burned down her house in anger as she refused to allow her alcoholic husband to return back yesterday afternoon.

According to a neighbour Aida, the couple next door was always quarreling and fighting and the woman, Dayat, told her on Monday that she was leaving her husband for good.

Aida said Dayat worked as a gardener while her husband, a security guard, would returned back at odd hours and there was always shouting in the house.

She said the couple had a daughter and two grandchildren who stayed with them but they moved out when the couple's fighting got more unpleasant.

'Take care of my cats'

Aida said the husband was seen in the house in the morning and left after a short while. Dayat then returned back at noon and packed her things and her two cats.

She then went to Aida's house and asked her to take care of her cats for a while as she was going away.

Aida said she saw Dayat in the kitchen and there was smoke coming out. She called to her but Dayat refused to stop and continued walking away.

Waving down a car, Aida asked them to call the fire brigade for help. When the fire engine arrived a short while later, the whole house was already razed to the ground.