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Jacqueline Kirk murderer given life sentence for fire attack | Jacqueline Kirk murderer given life sentence for fire attack |
(32 minutes later) | |
Steven Craig must serve at least 15 years in jail for the murder of Jacqueline Kirk | Steven Craig must serve at least 15 years in jail for the murder of Jacqueline Kirk |
A man has been given a life sentence for murdering his ex-partner, who died 21 years after he set her alight. | A man has been given a life sentence for murdering his ex-partner, who died 21 years after he set her alight. |
Jacqueline Kirk was badly disfigured after Steven Craig acted out a torture scene from Reservoir Dogs at their home in Weston-super-Mare in 1998. | Jacqueline Kirk was badly disfigured after Steven Craig acted out a torture scene from Reservoir Dogs at their home in Weston-super-Mare in 1998. |
Craig was found guilty of grievous bodily harm at the time and served almost 19 years in jail. | |
Ms Kirk died in 2019 from complications relating to the injuries she suffered, so Craig was then charged with murder. | |
In a landmark case, he must now spend a minimum of 15 years in prison on top of the 18 years and 11 months he has already served. | |
Craig, of Brailsford Crescent, York, had admitted the attack on Ms Kirk but denied being responsible for her death. | |
Sentencing the 59-year-old at Bristol Crown Court earlier, Mrs Justice Stacey said Craig "repeatedly" replayed the torture scene from the film - where a police officer is covered in petrol - "with a permanent grin" . | |
There was no doubt you planned a "gratuitous" and "deliberate" attack on the mother-of-two, she added. | There was no doubt you planned a "gratuitous" and "deliberate" attack on the mother-of-two, she added. |
"She was always in pain and suffered from depression and nightmares, and was suicidal at times." | "She was always in pain and suffered from depression and nightmares, and was suicidal at times." |
Ms Kirk was left severely disfigured from the attack by Steven Craig in 1998 | |
Ahead of sentencing, prosecutor Richard Smith KC read out statements from Ms Kirk which she gave to police at her trial in 2000. | Ahead of sentencing, prosecutor Richard Smith KC read out statements from Ms Kirk which she gave to police at her trial in 2000. |
She said that "nothing or no amount of counselling could prepare me or did prepare me" for the attack. | She said that "nothing or no amount of counselling could prepare me or did prepare me" for the attack. |
"I am now a very timid, shy and even embarrassed person," she added. | "I am now a very timid, shy and even embarrassed person," she added. |
"Why me? What I have I ever done to deserve this sentence on my life?" | "Why me? What I have I ever done to deserve this sentence on my life?" |
"Life today is a constant struggle." | "Life today is a constant struggle." |
Her son Shane said his mother was a "strong-minded person" when he was growing up but there were occasions when she had made some poor life choices. | |
She began to change after she started a relationship with Craig, he said. | |
No closure | |
She met him by chance and gave Craig shelter because he was homeless, but his influence led her to drug and drink problems that she had previously conquered, he said. | |
The court heard Ms Kirk was so disfigured that her daughter Sonna only recognised her by her feet when she first saw her in hospital. | |
In a statement Sonna said she "spent 21 years of feeling grateful and thankful for every extra day that I got to spend with my mum". | |
"From the very beginning, when I was told that she would likely die, she managed to surprise everyone and came through so much. | |
"She was able to see me grow up into an adult, where I got married and then went on to have children, and so she became nanny Jackie. | |
"It has been three years since my mum died and during that time part of my life has been on hold because I haven't had complete closure. | |
"I have also had to deal with the emotional trauma of going through a second trial, only this time my mum is no longer with me." | |
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