Man appeals sentence for historic Weston murder
Steven Craig doused his then girlfriend in petrol and set her alight, back in 1998
Last updated 13th Dec 2022
A man who set fire to his partner and was recently jailed for life for her murder has launched an appeal against his sentence.
Jackie Kirk from Bath was brutally attacked by Steven Craig in Weston back in 1998 - she died 21 years later from complications relating to her injuries.
She survived the attack, which was a re-enactment of a scene from the Quentin Tarantino film Reservoir Dogs and lived for another 21 years until 2019, but the prosecution in Craig's trial successfully argued her injuries played a "more than minimal part" in her death at the age of 62.
He's already spent 18 years behind bars for attacking her but was re-arrested for her murder when she died in 2019.
Last month, 58 year old Craig was told he must serve a minimum of 34 years in prison but is arguing that should be reduced so he can serve some of his sentence on license - his appeal will be looked at by a judge next year.
An historic case
No case quite like this has ever gone through UK courts before.
Craig was first given a life sentence in 2000 for the attack on Jacqueline and for the rape of another woman.
He served 15 years before being released on licence, but was then recalled to prison on two occasions, meaning by the time he was sentenced to life again for Jacqueline's murder, he had already served nearly 19 years behind bars.
During his sentencing for murder last month, Craig was told he must serve another 15 years at least.
His latest conviction is thought to be a legal first in the UK, because of the length of time that had passed between the 1998 attack and his sentencing for murder.
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