Teen guilty of burning girlfriend alive
Stewart Blackburn guilty of murdering girlfriend
Wednesday, 02, Dec 2009 04:31
By Richard James.
A teenage boy who doused his girlfriend in petrol before setting her on fire has been found guilty of her murder.
Stewart Blackburn, 18, was convicted of murdering 17-year-old Jessica McCagh at the high court in Livingstone on Wednesday.
The court heard how Jessica died in hospital on April 25th after being attacked at the flat she shared with Blackburn in Arbroath.
The jury were reportedly provided with evidence which suggested Blackburn, after an argument, had poured petrol over the 17-year-old and set her alight before holding the bedroom door shut to prevent her from escaping.
During the trial, Blackburn claimed the fire had in fact started from a cannabis cigarette and denied murder, although admitted culpable homicide.
The attack left Jessica with burns on 85 per cent and she died a day later in hospital.
Commenting after the verdict, Detective Inspector Iain Wales, from Tayside police, said: ''It is impossible for us to truly comprehend what Jessica endured.
''What I am sure of, however, is that 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.
''Jessica was a young girl on the threshold of adulthood - someone with everything to live for. It is a tragedy when a young life is ended so suddenly and so utterly needlessly."
Sentencing is due to take place next month.