Steven Craig guilty of murdering Jacqueline Kirk who died 21 years after he set her on fire

A man has been found guilty of murdering his girlfriend, who died more than 20 years after he poured petrol on her and set her on fire, leaving her with horrific burns.

Steven Paul Craig, 57, served 15 years in prison for attacking Jacqueline Kirk, who was badly injured but survived the attack in Somerset in 1998.

Following Friday’s trial, he has now been remanded in custody and will be sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on 9 November.

Ms Kirk died in August 2019 aged 62 after suffering a ruptured diaphragm.

Craig was charged with her murder as the prosecution argued she died “as a result in part of” her injuries.

Jurors had to decide whether the burns Ms Kirk suffered played a “significant part in the cause of her death”.

Ms Kirk suffered serious burns from the attack in Dolphin Square in Weston-super-Mare 24 years ago. Craig tied her to a chair and set her on fire while enacting a Reservoir Dogs fantasy.

Her injuries covered 35% of her body, including her face, neck, chest, torso, thighs and buttocks.

‘What he did to her was horrendous’

Mark Almond, Detective Chief Inspector at the Major Crime Investigation Team, Avon and Somerset Police, described the case as “unusual”, due to the amount of time that passed between Ms Kirk’s injuries and her death.

But he added: “What he did to her was horrendous and had a profound effect on her and her family.

“While she managed to see many significant milestones, her life was still cut short by the injuries caused by Craig, and it was only right that he was held fully accountable.”

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Original sentence did not reflect Craig’s ‘appalling actions’

Speaking after the verdict, Andrew Pritchard of the Crown Prosecution Service said Craig had now been held responsible for the “full consequences” of his actions.

“When Stephen Craig was jailed in 2000 for causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Jacqueline Kirk, no one knew that his actions would eventually lead to Jacqueline’s death,” Mr Pritchard said.

“As a result, the original sentence he served did not reflect the full consequences of his appalling actions.”

After the verdict was delivered, Ms Kirk’s family shouted “yes” and started to cry.

Ms Kirk’s daughter, Sonna, explained how the family were originally advised she would not survive the attack, as she praised the first responders and all those involved in providing her mother medical care.

“If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t have had the extra 21 years, and we’re very, very grateful for all the hard work they did,” she said.

“Most people would describe her as stubborn, and that’s mostly seen as a negative thing, but for her, it was a very positive thing,” she added.

“It kept her going, and it got her stronger, and it got her to be Jackie,” she said.

What did prosecutors argue?

During the trial, prosecutor Richard Smith KC told the court Ms Kirk’s severe burns played a “significant” part in her death years later.

He argued Ms Kirk died because her skin was no longer able to stretch far enough to accommodate the swelling of her intestines.

The prosecution also claimed her injuries were the reason doctors decided not to operate to repair the diaphragm and therefore save her life.

Mr Smith added that these were not the only reasons for the complex medical situation in which she died, but they “played a part.”

What did the defence claim?

The defence argued this could not be proven.

Defence lawyer, Christopher Tehrani KC, argued Ms Kirk’s abdomen was only partly scarred and was “capable of stretching”.

He added that surgeons based their decision not to operate on her in part due to unrelated “co-morbidities”, including a heart problem.

Craig, of Brailsford Road, York, denied the murder charge and was convicted of causing grievous bodily harm to Ms Kirk in 2000 – meaning the murder trial was limited to medical evidence.