Jailed for life: Teenager who set girlfriend on fire

• Stewart Blackburn (left) murdered girlfriend Jessica McCagh (right) after a row during which she threatened to leave him

Stewart Blackburn, 18, set fire to 17-year-old Jessica McCagh after the couple rowed at his flat in Arbroath.

Blackburn was detained for life and ordered to spend a minimum of 21 years in custody for the "barbaric and evil" murder.

• Jessica McCagh's father Garry leads his wife Marion (right) and the rest of his family out of Livingston High Court after the guilty verdict against Stewart Blackburn. Picture: Dan Phillips

The victim's parents, Marion and Garry, who sat through days of harrowing evidence during the trial, were in court today to see Blackburn led away to the cells.

Judge Lord Bracadale said Jessica suffered a "terrible death" at Blackburn's hands and the killing had involved an act of "quite extraordinary cruelty".

A jury took less than two hours last month to unanimously find Blackburn guilty of murder after a 10-day trial at the High Court in Livingston.

Blackburn, described in court as a "violent thug", had tried to plead guilty to the lesser charge of culpable homicide, insisting the fire was not started intentionally.

He claimed hot debris from a cannabis joint he was smoking accidentally ignited petrol which he had splashed on Jessica during the row in his Bloomfield Road flat.

But the court heard that Blackburn had committed "murder, pure and simple".

He flew into a violent rage when Jessica accused him of kissing another girl and he punched her off her feet.

The argument continued when they returned to the flat they occasionally shared.

It was there that a drunk Blackburn deliberately poured at least a litre of petrol over his girlfriend when she threatened to dump him.

He turned her into a fireball with his cigarette lighter as she knelt, defenceless, on the bed.

The killer then abandoned his burning victim and fled the scene, shouting: "Jessica's dead."

He later appeared more worried about his pet dogs which died in the fire.

Jessica's neighbour, Ricci Foreman, ran to the flat when he heard an explosion and forced his way in.

He repeatedly filled a fish tank with water and threw it over his friend in a desperate attempt to save her as she begged him for help.

Jessica, a former Arbroath High School pupil, died in intensive care at Dundee's Ninewells Hospital, surrounded by her loved ones.

She had burns to 85% of her body and could never have survived her injuries.

Her final words to her father were: "I don't want to die, Dad – I love you."

Lord Bracadale said Jessica's murder had three stages.

He said: "First, you threw petrol over her. Then you set fire to her.

"The expert evidence made it clear that 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 bedroom door shut to prevent her escape.

"Jessica McCagh was your girlfriend, aged 17 years, and she died a terrible death at your hands.

"In addition, the jury found that, on an earlier occasion, you had threatened to burn with petrol the house of her parents, where she was then living."

Lord Bracadale said Blackburn also had a history of violence as a child.

The judge said Blackburn admitted to a social worker that he threw a petrol bomb at a house when he was 13, because of a row with the occupant.

Blackburn, who already has convictions for theft by housebreaking and an assault on Jessica's father, showed little emotion as the sentence was handed down.

Jessica's father said he was happy with the 21-year minimum sentence but added that he hoped Blackburn would never be freed from custody.

Speaking outside court, Mr McCagh said: "Life should be life. I hope he doesn't get out. I hope they just keep him in."

Surrounded by his wife and family, he paid tribute to Jessica, saying: "She was a lovely wee lassie, we're going to miss her very, very, very much. We'll never forget her."

Referring to the last few months as a "nightmare", Mr McCagh said he felt anger and hatred towards Blackburn for taking away his "precious" daughter.

Asked whether he and his family would ever be able to move on, he said: "It'll be hard. We've just got to push ourselves to get there."

And he went on to call for Jessica's friend, Mr Foreman, to be honoured for his efforts in trying to save her life.

Mr McCagh said: "I'd like to thank Ricci Foreman for his bravery. This man should be honoured, he should get some recognition."

He also praised the prosecution for bringing Blackburn to justice and thanked those in Arbroath who have supported him and his family since Jessica died.

Solicitor-General Frank Mulholland QC, prosecuting, had told the trial that Blackburn committed "a barbaric and evil act against a defenceless young woman".

The court heard that Blackburn had also threatened to petrol– bomb Jessica's family home nine months before he murdered her.

Detective Inspector Iain Wales, who led the Tayside Police murder investigation, said Jessica suffered a "quite horrific death".

He said last month: "Blackburn fully understood the consequences of his actions, acted without a glimmer of fear or compassion, and ultimately showed a contemptible disregard for the agonies of someone he claimed to care for."