Jacqueline Kirk passed away in hospital more than 21 years after her former partner attacked her (Picture: SWNS)

A woman whose ex-partner doused her with petrol before setting her on fire died two decades later after her injuries left her ‘too frail’ to be operated on, a murder trial heard.

Steven Paul Craig has now gone on trial for the murder of his girlfriend-of-four-years, Jacqueline Kirk, who he attacked in a car park in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, in April 1998.

He set her alight in imitation of the torture scene in Quentin Tarantino’s 1991 movie Reservoir Dogs.

Craig was found guilty of grievous bodily harm with intent and sentenced in 2000.

The victim, then 41, was seriously injured at the time, suffering 35% burns on her body, including her face, neck, chest, torso, thighs and buttocks.

Miraculously, she survived the horrific attack after undergoing 14 operations including skin grafts.

But more than 21 years later Ms Kirk passed away in hospital, aged 62, having suffered a ruptured diaphragm.

Ms Kirk suffered 35% burns on her body but survived the attack (Picture: SWNS)

Craig is now back in the dock this week after the prosecution argued the attack was a ‘significant’ cause of her subsequent death in August 2019.

Prosecutor Richard Smith told Bristol Crown Court Ms Kirk died after a ‘swelling of her intestines’.

‘The injuries inflicted were of great significance as a result of his actions,’ he said.

‘However, at that time the victim survived. As a result, the defendant was tried and punished for what he had then done. But the story does not end there.

‘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.

Court artist sketch of Craig appearing in the dock at Bristol Crown Court where he is charged with murder (Picture: PA)

‘The prosecution say that this defendant can be described as having murdered the victim.’

Giving evidence today, medical staff at the Royal University Hospital told jurors the victim was too ‘frail’ to be operated on after her condition deteriorated.

Dr Jonathan Price, an intensive care consultant, said she suffered an ‘acute right sided diaphragm perforation’ which ‘led to the bowel passing in into the right side of her chest’.

Her right lung then collapsed and pressure was also exerted on her left lung.

‘Because of her multiple, chronic medical problems, and her frailty, no surgical interventions were feasible and we moved on to palliative care,’ he added.

Craig was convicted of GBH with intent after he carried out the vicious attack (Picture: SWNS)

‘The decision was taken it was not in Ms Kirk’s interests for an operative intervention.’

Dr Price said a rupture of the diaphragm was ‘extremely rare’ and he had only ever dealt with one other in his entire career.

The prosecution is arguing that the inability of her skin to expand ‘played a part’ in the resulting rupture that led to the fatal consequences.

But Craig’s defence is arguing this cannot be proved.

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Christopher Tehrani KC, defending, said his client ‘did not dispute when committed this truly horrific act he did so with the intent to cause really serious bodily harm’.

But he said the link between the attack and Ms Kirk’s death in 2019 was ‘simply not an acceptable explanation for her death’.

Craig denies murder and the trial continues.

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She suffered 35% burns on her body, including her face, neck, chest, torso, thighs and buttocks.