A MOTHER of two has been branded “evil” by a judge, who jailed her for 25 years for the attempted murder of her sister who she tried to burn alive in a “ruthless and breathtaking” bid to cover up the theft of nearly £140,000 from her family.

Cathy Bartlett, 30, was convicted at Winchester Crown Court following a four-week trial which heard that she passed herself off as a successful businesswoman while committing fraud against her sister Rachael to fund her luxury lifestyle.

The court heard that Bartlett, from Fawley, Hampshire, set fire to her mother’s house in Bartley on April 7 to prevent the fraud she carried out while acting as financial adviser for Rachael, 34, from being discovered.

She even gave her sister sleeping tablets and alcohol on the night of the attack, the court heard.

A caravan where Rachael had previously been living was also burned down, killing her 14-year-old dog, Jade. The fire is also suspected by prosecutors to have been caused by her sister.

Judge Jane Miller QC sentenced Bartlett for attempted murder, 10 counts of fraud totalling £96,000 and one of theft of £43,000 from her father.

She told the defendant: “Quite frankly you are evil. You accepted in your evidence your behaviour was cunning, calculating and devious.”

The court has heard that the parents of the defendant and her sister had cut off ties with Rachael as they blamed her for supporting the prosecution of Bartlett.

Judge Miller said: “I feel very sorry for your parents in their      awful situation. They have been supporting the wrong daughter, it’s Rachael that deserves their compassion and not you.

“I hope they will regret their behaviour towards Rachael and she has the generosity to forgive them.”

In a victim impact statement read to the court, Rachael described how her sister’s actions had left her suffering post-traumatic stress disorder.

She said: “Cathy was not only my sister but my best friend, someone I trusted and relied on. What she has done has ripped our family apart and has had a huge effect on all of us.

“I thought I trusted her and to find out our relationship was based on lies is devastating. The fact that she was then prepared to kill me to cover up her actions is so disturbing I still haven’t been able to come to terms with it.”