A MANCHESTER MAN who was found guilty of killing his sister by dousing her in petrol and setting her alight has been jailed for life, with a minimum of 27 years.
Stephen Archer (51), of Victoria Street in Openshaw east of Manchester city centre, was sentenced for the murder of his sister, Julie Archer, at Manchester Crown Court today.
He was also found guilty of arson with intent to endanger life.
On 29 February 2016, police were called to a house on Surbiton Road in Newton Heath, Manchester by a woman who was trapped in an upstairs bedroom.
She said that her uncle had set her mother on fire and that she was trapped inside the house.
Julie Archer (49) was found with serious burns to her whole body. Upon arrival at hospital for treatment, it was identified that she had sustained 95% burns.
She died four days later.
Her daughter managed to escape the house by jumping from a bedroom window.
The court heard that Stephen Archer had thrown a mix of petrol and mineral spirit over his sister before setting the couch she was sitting on alight. He had brought these with him to her house to confront her over a disagreement after the death of their father.
The jury in the case heard how Archer evaded police after the incident, and went on the run.
Whilst eluding capture, he sent a birthday card to his mother and a get-well-soon card for Julie.
The card to his mother said: “Mum, just a note to say I’m truly sorry for what I did to Julie, but believe she deserved it for what she did to my dad”.
Senior investigating officer Duncan Thorpe said: “First of all, my thoughts are with Julie’s family. The past year has been unimaginable for them. Hopefully today’s conclusion will go some way to help them move forward.
Stephen Archer killed his sister in cold blood. Not only did he kill Julie, he did so in a way that would cause a phenomenal amount of pain and suffering. He has shown no remorse.
The family of Julie Archer released a statement thanking all those who helped the woman and her daughter.
“Julie was a fantastic mother, daughter, sister, auntie and friend,” it said. “Today’s verdict has given our family some justice but nothing will bring Julie back.
We love and miss her and she will forever be in our hearts.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say