Trial begins of man accused of murdering ex-girlfriend after violent attack
He set fire to his girlfriend in 1998 - she died 21 years later
Last updated 10th Oct 2022
Content warning: this article describes graphic details
A man jailed for setting fire to his girlfriend more than two decades ago has now gone on trial charged with her murder.
Steven Paul Craig, 58, was convicted in 2000 of causing GBH with intent while enacting a scene from his favourite Quentin Tarantino film, Reservoir Dogs.
He was found to have tied Jacqueline Kirk to a chair and set her on fire back in 1998.
He's now facing trial accused of her murder, after Kirk died 21 years later, in August 2019, with a ruptured diaphragm at the age of 62.
Today, prosecutors argued he is responsible for her murder as the injuries she sustained in 1998 were a substantial factor in her death.
Richard Smith KC told the jury at Bristol Crown Court: "In 1998, this defendant attacked a woman by pouring petrol over her and setting her alight with a flame.
"The injuries inflicted were of great significance as a result of his actions, however, at that time the victim survived.
"As a result, the defendant was tried and punished for what he had then done.
"Many years later, the injured woman died as a result in part of the injuries that this defendant had inflicted on this victim. Therefore, we say that good sense and the law says that this defendant should be accountable for the full consequences of what he did.
"The prosecution says that this defendant can be described as having murdered the victim."
"The sole issue in this case is whether or not the injuries inflicted by the defendant did contribute to her death - the defence say this is simply not certain."
During today's trial, the prosecution explained in brief, how Craig's actions contributed to her death.
The jury heard how in August 2019 Ms Kirk was admitted to the Royal United Hospital in Bath with a badly swelling intestine.
It was claimed that because of extensive scarring, Ms Kirk's skin could not stretch as much as would normally be expected, to accomodate the swelling.
The prosecution argued her skin's inability to stretch placed more pressure on her diaphragm, which then ruptured and caused her to die.
Responding, Craig's defence lawyer argued Ms Kirk's abdomen was only partly scarred.
He said: "We will submit that the investigation into the cause of Jacqueline Kirk's death was a complex and difficult one,"
"The prosecution's suggestion about the lack of stretching may not be correct.
"Although there's clear scarring to the chest and abdomen of Ms Kirk, this scarring is mainly at the front with scarring on the right side of the lower chest and upper abdomen.
"When you take into account areas that are not scarred this would have allowed sufficient stretching of Ms Kirk's abdomen.
"This rupture is likely to have occurred more likely than not in a person with no scarring."
Jurors have been told by the judge - Mrs Justice Stacey - jurors have to "put emotion aside" as they decide whether burns played a significant role in her death.
If he's convicted, it is understood the case will break a record for the longest time passed between an attack and a victim's death, in the UK murder trial.
Craig - who lives in Brailsford Crescent in York - has pleaded not guilty to one count of murder.
The trial continues - and it's set to last until the end of the month.