Stephen Craig jailed: Children of petrol attack victim Jacqueline Kirk ‘grateful’ for extra 21 years they had together
The children of a woman who died 21 years after being doused in petrol and set ablaze by her partner have said they are “thankful” for every extra day they spent together.
Stephen Craig, 58, spent more than 18 years in prison for the “sadistic” petrol attack on Jacqueline Kirk in a car park in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, in April 1998.
Following her death in August 2019 he was charged with murder and found guilty by a jury last month.
On Thursday, Craig was handed a further 15 years behind bars – meaning he will now serve a minimum of 34 years in prison.
Ms Kirk was subjected to a “callous and brutal” ordeal which left her with burns to 35% of her body.
Against the odds, she survived more than two decades and was able to witness both her children get married and become a grandmother.
But she died a day after being admitted to hospital with a ruptured abdomen in 2019, with doctors refusing to operate due to her frail condition.
Ms Kirk’s son, Shane, and daughter, Sonna, paid tribute to her bravery in moving statements read during Craig’s sentencing hearing at Bristol Crown Court.
“Every day was a struggle – but she hardly ever complained”
Ms Kirk with her dog, Molly, who was a “huge comfort”. Pic: Somerset and Avon Police
Recalling the moment he saw his mother for the first time after the attack, Shane, then 22, said: “I immediately began to cry but remember thinking very vividly that this can’t be real and that the person in the bed wasn’t my mum.
“I remember saying goodbye, it felt like I had already lost her.”
But he added: “Even though she was unrecognisable and she could not speak, slowly, week by week, her personality and character shined through, and she slowly became our mum again.”
“Every day was a struggle” for Ms Kirk, who battled constant pain, he said – but “she hardly ever complained about all the things she found hard in life.”
Steven Craig, who set fire to his girlfriend Jacqueline Kirk in 1998. Craig has been found guilty of Jacqueline’s murder following her death 21 years later
“In the first few years, every time she was admitted to hospital it felt like that could be it,” he said.
“Eventually this became normal and she would always pull through, she was such a fighter.
“Mum was just 40 when she was burnt, but she managed to find her voice again after being told she would never talk.
“She beat all the odds and went on to have over 20 more years that I will always be grateful for.
“I will always feel that mum should and could have had and done so much more in her life, but Stephen Craig has taken her from our lives too soon.”
“Grateful and thankful for every extra day I spent with mum”
Jacqueline Kirk, pictured with daughter Sonna before the attack. Pic: Somerset and Avon Police
Mother-of-two Sonna was just 13 when her mother was attacked, with both her and brother Shane forced to grow up very fast.
For almost a year, the siblings caught three buses to visit Ms Kirk in hospital.
They were both at her bedside, holding her hand when she died in hospital.
Sonna said in her statement: “I 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 come 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.
Jacqueline Kirk and her daughter Sonna on her wedding day
“It’s 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.”
Craig, who must serve a minimum of 15 years before being considered for release by the parole board, had a string of previous convictions including rape and grevious bodily harm of another partner.
He admitted responsibility for the attack on Ms Kirk – but not her death.
He will remain on licence for the rest of his life if he is freed from prison.
Two pro-Palestinian demonstrators have thrown red powder on Tower Bridge – just moments before leading runners in the London Marathon went past.
The protesters were arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance and remain in custody, said the Metropolitan Police.
A video shared by Youth Demand, which is calling for a trade embargo on Israel, shows two people jumping over a barrier that separates spectators from the race course.
The pair, wearing t-shirts that say “Youth Demand: Stop Arming Israel”, are then seen standing in the middle of the road on the bridge.
Pic: LNP
They throw red powder in the air as an official marathon car goes past displaying the race time.
A motorbike with a cameraman on board continues along the route, while a second motorbike stops and one of the riders gets off and pushes the pair out of the way, just before the men’s elite runners pass.
Several police officers then jump over the barrier and detain the pair, the footage shows.
There appeared to be no impact on the marathon.
More than 56,000 participants were expected to take part in the 26.2-mile race through the capital.
Sabastian Sawe of Kenya won the men’s elite race in a time of two hours, two minutes and 27 seconds, while Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa shattered the women’s-only world record in two hours, 15 minutes and 50 seconds.
Assefa beat the previous best of two hours, 16 minutes and 16 seconds set last year in London by Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir.
Read more:
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Badenoch does not rule out local coalitions with Reform
Pic: LNP
The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: “At around 10.38am, two protesters from Youth Demand jumped over barriers at Tower Bridge and threw red paint on to the road.
“Marathon event staff intervened to remove the protesters from the path of the men’s elite race which was able to pass unobstructed.”
The force added that they were “quickly supported by police officers who arrested the protesters on suspicion of causing a public nuisance”.
The Met said the paint “appeared to be chalk-based” and was not expected to “present a hazard to runners yet to pass this point”.
Counter-terrorism police are investigating after an incident involving a crossbow and a firearm left two women injured in Leeds.
Police were called to Otley Road at 2.47pm on Saturday to reports of a “serious incident involving a man seen with weapons”, West Yorkshire Police said.
Officers arrived at the scene to find two women injured – and a 38-year-old man with a self-inflicted injury. All three were taken to hospital, with the man held under arrest, but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
“Two weapons have been recovered from the scene, which were a crossbow and a firearm,” Counter Terrorism Policing North East said in a statement.
The incident happened on the ‘Otley Run’ pub crawl, with one venue saying it was closed for the evening due to “unforeseen circumstances”.
Officers guard one of the crime scenes
Officers inside the cordon in Leeds
Counter Terrorism Policing’s statement added: “Due to the circumstances surrounding the incident, Counter Terrorism Policing North East have taken responsibility for leading the investigation with the support of West Yorkshire Police.
“Extensive enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances and explore any potential motivation.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described it as a “serious violent incident” and said she was being kept updated by police.
“Thank you to the police and emergency services for their swift response,” she said. “My thoughts are with the victims and all those affected by this attack.”
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