A drunken row over page three girls ended in a Sanderstead man setting fire to his home while his wife and daughter were asleep upstairs.
Jonathan Walker, 39, of Princes Avenue, pleaded guilty to arson at Croydon Crown Court last Friday.
Prosecutor Kevin Baumber said the Walkers were married in 1990, then divorced, but got back together again.
Mr Baumber said: "He came home from work on March 28 rather agitated. His wife and eight-year-old daughter were in the house, but the girl was put to bed.
"The couple drank two or more bottles of wine and Walker went out to get some lager. He began shouting at his wife. He grabbed her and pushed her around the room. This caused the child to cry. Mrs Walker went up to her and stayed there and they both fell asleep.
"She was woken up by the daughter saying she could smell smoke like a bonfire."
Mrs Walker dashed down stairs and saw flames coming from a number of chairs which had been piled up. She poured several bowls of water over them and dialed 999.
Mr Walker was arrested and in an interview he admitted he had put paper under the chairs and put a light to them.
Miss Abigail Penny, defending, said the Walkers had been drinking to excess on that night.
"There was a heated argument, she objected to him reading tabloid newspapers. She asked him if he had been reading one and he denied it. She didn't accept that and she looked for one and could not find it, and decided he had disposed of the evidence."
Walker was remanded in custody until September 15, when he will be sentenced.
Judge Nicholas Ainley put the case back and asked the probation service to make a further assessment as to Walker's potential risk to the general public.
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