A man who set his girlfriend on fire after a Valentine’s Day outing in Rathdrum last year will spend at least three years behind bars.

A First District judge ruled Wednesday that Dustin R. Hieronymus, 38, will serve between three and 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to domestic battery. The charge carried a violent-offender enhancement, which can increase a sentence.

Judge Richard Christensen said Heironymus was on probation for a violent crime Feb. 14 when he and his girlfriend went to drink at a karaoke bar, where they began to argue. The argument continued after the couple returned to their Rathdrum residence, where Heironymus put a bucket on the woman’s head and kicked it repeatedly before dousing her with kerosene and setting her on fire.

The girlfriend, 27, told the court that her boyfriend has a mental illness and should not go to prison.

Prosecutors asked the court for a lengthier sentence, but Christensen took the girlfriend’s testimony into consideration.

“This is a very disturbing case,” Christensen said. “The sentence would have been lengthier had I not heard from the victim.”

Hieronymus was originally charged with aggravated battery, third-degree arson and felony domestic battery, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. He pleaded guilty to domestic battery as part of a plea agreement that allowed defense attorneys to argue for a lesser sentence.

Despite the victim’s testimony, Christensen said the latest charge against Hieronymus displayed a pattern of violence, because he had already been convicted of aggravated assault in a 2015 case and had served part of his sentence.

“It’s a repeat of your previous behavior,” Christensen said. “The court has tried probation. The court has tried a rider, and there were still problems after that.”

Defense attorney Zachary Jones asked that his client be allowed a second chance at a rider — another name for a prison rehabilitation program — and to be allowed to attend mental-health court. However, the judge imposed the combined sentence for the probation violation and the latest conviction.

“These are crimes against persons,” Christensen said. “Somewhere along the line, the wheels came off.”