A woman tragically died in a house fire after the candles she lit for her imaginary boyfriend sparked a large blaze, according to police in the United Kingdom.
46-year-old Jane Ellis of Sandhurst, was found in her apartment lying face down in the bathroom, following the blaze.
The court heard that Ellis regularly lit candles to summon her imaginary boyfriend named Ian. On the day of her death, Ellis lit 17 candles, but somehow, her apartment caught on fire.
Her neighbors came to the apartment to alert Ellis to the fire, but she shut the door in their faces. By the time firefighters extinguished the blaze, Ellis was dead.
Neighbors said that Ellis spoke of having a romantic evening with Ian. She also promised to get married with her lover and go on honeymoon in Egypt.
Ellis’ family told the court that the woman suffered from mental illness, and they don’t understand why she was allowed to live alone.