Steven Somerville, a married New Yorker, is sentenced to 29 years in prison for stalking and threatening to kill his lover before setting fire to her house because she wanted to break up with him.
- Somerville, 52, from Brooklyn, threatened his lover, telling him ‘I’m really going to kill you’
- He entered her home and set fire to her belongings before locking the door behind him.
- The woman managed to flee to a domestic violence shelter with her 3 children at the time of the attack.
A married New York man faces at least 27 years in prison after stalking and threatening to kill his mistress before setting her house on fire because she threatened to end things.
Steven Somerville, 52, became obsessed with his victim after the two met at work in 2021.
They began a short relationship in October of that year, but things quickly turned sour after he began bombarding her with unwanted attention.
His wife discovered the affair and contacted her lover expressing concerns for his safety and urged her to contact the police.
On Dec. 4, the woman tried to end her relationship with Somerville and he threatened to kill her.
Steven Somerville, 52, burned down his former mistress’s house as she tried to break up with him
She fled her Forest Hills apartment with her three children to a domestic violence shelter.
While there, Somerville harassed her with more than 100 phone calls over a 24-hour period.
He also sent threatening text messages that said: “I want you to know that I am really going to kill you”; and ‘There’s no place I won’t find you now. I will dedicate my entire life to finding you and killing you.
Three days later, he entered his empty apartment and piled up two mattresses and all his belongings before setting it on fire.
Somerville escaped through a window and locked the door to ensure all occupants would be trapped.
This frightening incident echoes the famous 1987 thriller Fatal Attraction in which Glenn Close’s character develops a dangerous and violent obsession with Michael Douglas.
The incident bore similarities to the 1987 thriller Fatal Attraction starring Glenn Close (left) and Michael Douglas (right).
Somerville was convicted by a jury in July 2023 of second-degree arson, second-degree burglary, reckless endangerment, first-degree criminal contempt and third- and fourth-degree stalking.
Queens Supreme Court Justice Peter Vallone, Jr. on Thursday sentenced Somerville to 27 to 29 years in prison.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said, “Access to a domestic violence shelter may very well have saved this woman’s life.
“I urge victims of domestic violence who need safety planning services, or assistance in obtaining a protection order or shelter placement, to call our 24-hour DV Helpline at (718) 286-4410.”