Man receives life sentence for girlfriend’s murder by immolation

A man has received a life sentence after his girlfriend passed away two years subsequent to him intentionally dousing her with petrol and igniting her. Ellen Marshall sustained 80% burns when Leigh Pateman, aged 45, ignited her after pouring petrol on her while she was seated in a chair at her residence in Skegness, Lincolnshire. This incident occurred during a dispute on 22 April 2021. Pateman was initially sentenced in March 2022 to 17 years and 10 months in prison, having pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent. A murder charge was subsequently brought against him following Ms Marshall’s demise on 11 March 2023, almost two years after the initial event. On Monday, at Lincoln Crown Court, he received a sentence of a minimum of 23 years and 145 days in prison, having previously entered a guilty plea to murder. During the sentencing, Judge Simon Hirst informed Pateman: “The cause of Ms Marshall’s death was pneumonia as a result of the injuries inflicted upon her by you.” The judge stated his conviction that Pateman had engaged in a considerable amount of planning and had established a pattern of “terrifying” Ms Marshall in the period leading up to the assault. Testimony presented to the court indicated that the 45-year-old had previously issued threats to kill his partner by setting her ablaze and maintained a supply of petrol at his residence, though she had not taken these threats seriously. Judge Hirst conveyed to Pateman: “Ms Marshall endured the most excruciating pain and suffering from the injuries you inflicted upon her.” A victim impact statement, presented in court by Ms Marshall’s daughter, Paige Clarke, detailed how her mother, despite her burns, had continued to fight for survival and harbored the hope of one day holding her first grandchild but “that day will now never come”. “She became weaker and weaker as the days went by, but even then she was so strong of heart.” She added: “The physical, mental and emotional pain that my mother had to go through is almost impossible to put into words.” “She could not bear to look at herself for a year.” Ms Clarke recounted that the instance her mother did not recognize her during her last hospital visit would “haunt her forever.” The court was informed that fire crews were alerted to a woman’s presence by a gurgling sound. They discovered Ms Marshall still conscious and convulsing in “extreme pain” on the living room floor, which was enveloped in black smoke. Prosecutor Sarah Knight stated: “There was little hair left on her head.” “Her face was so badly burnt and scorched it was difficult to make out her facial features.” “Her body was scorched where her clothes would have been.” Despite undergoing 12 hours of surgery, Ms Marshall’s chances of survival were assessed at less than 50%, and two medical experts determined that the extensive burns she sustained contributed to her premature death. Pateman escaped the location on his bicycle but was later located at his mother’s residence, where he had retired to bed, covered in soot. A murder charge was initiated against Pateman subsequent to Ms Marshall’s death at Nottingham City Hospital, at the age of 43. Katherine Goddard KC, representing the defense, stated that Pateman had conveyed remorse for the suffering Ms Marshall experienced during the final two years of her life and was actively addressing a lifelong struggle with alcohol dependency.