A man has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his ex-partner, who passed away 21 years after he set her on fire.
In 1998, Steven Craig reenacted a torture sequence from the film Reservoir Dogs in Weston-super-Mare, severely disfiguring Jacqueline Kirk.
Craig was convicted guilty of intentionally causing great bodily harm at the time and has served nearly 19 years in prison.
Craig was subsequently charged with murder after Ms. Kirk passed away in 2019 from complications related to her injuries.
He must now serve an additional 15 years in prison in addition to the 18 years and 11 months he has already served.
Craig, of Brailsford Crescent in York, admitted attacking Ms. Kirk but denied murdering her.
Mrs. Justice Stacey stated, in sentencing the 58-year-old at Bristol Crown Court, that Craig “repeatedly” reenacted the torture scene from the film in which a police officer is drenched in gasoline “with a perpetual grin”
She said that there was no question you planned a “gratuitous” and “deliberate” assault on the mother of two.
She was suicidal at times and suffered from despair, nightmares, and constant discomfort.
The judge stated that Craig had a history of aggression against Ms. Kirk.
He was intoxicated at the time of the attack and exhibited “cowardly” behavior subsequently, telling her to stay away from him while she was on fire and refusing to extinguish the flames.
The judge emphasized the “sadistic tone and extreme nature” of the assault, describing it as “so callous and so violent.”
The judge stated that Ms. Kirk endured “physical and mental pain and horrible scars” for 21 years following the attack, being reminded of it every time she looked in the mirror.
Before sentencing, prosecutor Richard Smith KC read a statement given to police by Ms. Kirk in October 1999.
She stated that “no amount or type of counseling could have or did prepare me” for the attack.
She continued, “I am now a very timid, shy, and even humiliated person.”
“Why me? What have I ever done to deserve this life sentence?
Today’s life is a daily battle.
Shane noted that his mother was a “strong-minded person” when he was growing up, but that she began to change in 1995 when she began dating Craig.
Great respect
She met Craig by happenstance and gave him sanctuary since he was destitute, but his influence reintroduced her to substance abuse issues she had previously overcome.
The court heard that Ms. Kirk’s daughter Sonna only recognized her mom by her feet when she first visited her in the hospital.
Sonna stated in a statement that she “spent 21 years feeling grateful for each additional day spent with her mother.”
“From the very beginning, when I was informed that she was likely to die, she managed to astonish everyone and endure so much.
“She was able to watch me mature into an adult, getting married and having children, and thus she became my nanny, Jackie.
Since my mother’s death three years ago, a portion of my life has been on pause since I have not yet attained complete closure.
“I have also experienced the mental pain of going through a second trial, but this time without my mother.”
Mark Almond, a senior investigative officer, stated that Ms. Kirk “overcame countless obstacles with amazing resolve and fought with great dignity to reclaim the life she had before she was attacked.”
Craig was guilty of Jackie’s killing and, like all murderers, deserves severe punishment, according to the Det Ch Insp of the Avon and Somerset Police.
