A young mother from Milton Keynes has been left with horrific injuries after a neighbour doused her in petrol and set her alight. Kirsten Ashby, 27, suffered third-degree burns, losing her fingertips, ears, and much of her facial skin, as well as her hair, in the brutal unprovoked attack.
The attack occurred after Ms Ashby helped a neighbour's girlfriend who was having a fit. The neighbour, Raymond Bowen, who had consumed alcohol and cocaine, became angry and threw petrol over her before igniting it with a lighter. Ms Ashby's partner heard her screams and rushed to the flat, finding her with melted skin and a strong smell of burning flesh.
Bowen, a father-of-five, was sentenced to 19 years in prison for attempted murder. Ms Ashby has undergone 80 operations and remains in hospital nearly six months after the attack. She was placed in a medically induced coma for four weeks to manage the pain and shock.
Her parents, Lynn and Paul, are caring for her nine-year-old daughter Maddison and have launched a fundraising campaign for Ms Ashby's future needs. They described her as a 'stubborn soul' who fought through the ordeal, despite doctors initially preparing them for the worst.
