A 39-year-old man from Best who tried to murder his two daughters and kill himself by setting fire to his house has been sentenced to 12 years in jail, reports the Telegraaf.

The man, who has not been named, tried to kill all three of them by lighting fires in several places last March, and stopping his daughters when they tried to jump from a window. Eventually, they managed to escape, and a neighbour and policemen were both injured while trying to help.

The court in Den Bosch said: ‘It is only thanks to the oldest daughter’s cool head that the children and the accused himself just escaped the fire. The daughter had the presence of mind to knock out her father and break a shutter, so that both children could eventually jump out from a window on the first floor.’

Their father told the court he regretted what he did. A psychologist and psychiatrist reported that he had suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after being posted as a soldier in Bosnia, meaning he had ‘diminished responsibility’ for his actions.