A man has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 15 years for the murder of his partner, Jacqueline Kirk, who died in 2019 from injuries sustained in a petrol attack he carried out in 1998. Steven Craig, 58, had already served nearly 19 years for grievous bodily harm before being charged with murder after Kirk's death.
The attack occurred in a car park in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, where Craig doused Kirk with petrol and set her alight, inspired by a scene from the film Reservoir Dogs. Kirk spent nine months in hospital and underwent 14 operations, including skin grafts and a tracheotomy. She suffered constant pain and disfigurement, and died in August 2019 from complications related to scarring.
Sentencing at Bristol Crown Court, Mrs Justice Stacey described the attack as 'sadistic, planned and premeditated' and said Craig's actions were 'monstrous'. She noted that Craig had a history of domestic violence and had previously doused Kirk with petrol in their bedroom. The judge stated she would have set a minimum term of 34 years but reduced it due to time already served.
Kirk's daughter Sonna described seeing her mother in hospital as 'like an alien', while her son Shane said people would shout 'freak' at her. The prosecution argued that Craig's injuries made a 'more than minimal contribution' to her death. Permission to charge Craig with murder was granted by the then Attorney General Suella Braverman, in what is believed to be a legal first for such a delayed homicide prosecution.
