Man who murdered partner in Reservoir Dogs attack files appeal

A man who inflicted injuries on his girlfriend so “life-changing” she would die 21 years later is appealing his sentence.

Inspired by Quentin Tarantino’s film Reservoir Dogs, Steven Craig recreated a torture scene in a car park in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset in April 1998.

He tied up his partner, Jacqueline Kirk, doused her in gasoline, and then set her on fire.

The mother-of-two suffered burns covering more than a third of her skin and required 14 surgeries, including a tracheostomy and skin grafts, and spent nine harsh months in hospital.

Craig was sentenced to life in prison for the horrific assault in 2000 and had to serve at least nine years there.

After Ms Kirk died of a hernia in 2019, he was arrested again two years later on suspicion of murder.

He was told last month he must serve at least 34 years behind bars for her death in a landmark case.

But the judge subtracted the total time he had already served, meaning the new total minimum sentence was set at 15 years and five days.

Given the length of time between the attack and Ms. Kirk’s death, Craig’s conviction is believed to be a legal first.

He has now appealed to have the number of years he is serving in prison reduced so he can serve part of his remaining years without parole.

The complaint will first be examined by a judge next year.

During last month’s sentencing, Mrs. Judge Mary Elizabeth Stacey told Craig that he was entirely to blame for her death.

She said he “rewatched” the scene from “Reservoir Dogs” and had a “permanent grin.”

“You liked acting like the character in the movie,” she pointed out. “Mr. Kirk was really scared and was full of gas.

“You lit the lighter and she saw the flame of the lighter flash across her face. She could set her arms on fire and the pain burned. You didn’t help her or call for help.

“Her injuries were life-threatening and life-changing. It was not clear that she would survive.

“They wanted to use really serious force and do really serious harm to Jackie – it was a planned and premeditated attack.

“There is no doubt that you intended, by any means at your disposal, to carry out an unprovoked, premeditated, and monstrous attack on Jackie.”

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