Teenager who burned girlfriend to death sentenced to at least 21 years

A teenager who set his girlfriend on fire and trapped her as she burned to death was today sentenced to a minimum of 21 years in prison. The judge at the high court in Edinburgh told 18-year-old Stewart Blackburn that his attack on Jessica McCagh had been "of quite extraordinary cruelty". Lord Bracadale said the teenager's 17-year-old girlfriend had suffered "a terrible death at your hands". Blackburn was convicted of killing McCagh at the flat they shared in Arbroath, north-east of Dundee, on 25 April last year. His conviction came after a 10-day trial in December. The prosecution described the murder as a "barbaric and evil act". The court was told Blackburn doused her with petrol during an argument and then set her alight. He held the bedroom door closed as she died. Blackburn claimed McCagh had been set on fire when embers from a cannabis joint ignited fuel from his dismantled motorbike's petrol tank, which was lying on the bed. He said he had tried to save her by pouring water on the flames, and told the court he "fell down crying" as she was engulfed by fire. Expert witnesses dismissed his account, saying the fire had been caused by petrol being deliberately lit with a naked flame. The court also heard Blackburn had previously threatened to set McCagh's parents' house on fire using petrol. McCagh suffered burns to 85% of her body and died in Ninewells hospital, in Dundee, later that day. Bracadale today revealed that Blackburn had a previous conviction for assault and a history of violence as a child. The judge told social workers who wrote the background report on the case for the court that, as a 13-year-old, Blackburn had thrown a petrol bomb at a house after a dispute with someone who lived there. The judge added: "The evidence disclosed that there were three stages in the murder of Jessica McCagh. First, you threw petrol over her. Then you set fire to her. "The expert evidence made it clear that was a more difficult thing to do than many of us would have thought, and must have involved holding a naked flame to her, or the bedclothes, in order to set her alight. "Once she was alight, you did something of quite extraordinary cruelty – you held the door of the bedroom shut to prevent her escape. "Jessica McCagh was your girlfriend, aged 17 years, and she died a terrible death at your hands." Bracadale told Blackburn that he would serve at least 21 years and would only be released when the parole board thought it was safe to do so. "The level of wickedness reflected in the commission of this murder must be visited with a long punishment part," he added.