Devastated daughter describes terrifying moment her dad Mark Brooks tried to set her alight in Sheffield

Stacy Brooks told how she had turned to her dad, Mark Brooks, for help during a bad break-up – only for the 61-year-old, of Shirecliffe Road, Shirecliffe, to attack her and try to set her on fire.

Stacy, a 31-year-old mum-of-four, from Pitsmoor, had only recently reconnected with him after 20 years of estrangement when the attack happened last year.

A court heard how it was ‘only luck’ that saved her after her dad attempted to use the lighter to ignite the liquid but it would not catch.

Stacy claims he had become ‘jealous’ and ‘obsessed’ with her after she found a new partner, from whom she has since split, and he stormed round that day to where she was staying to carry out the assault.

Mark Brooks was jailed for more than nine years after attempting to set his daughter alight

Mark Brooks admitted attempting to inflict grievous bodily harm and threatening to kill his daughter.

At Sheffield Crown Court in August this year, he was sentenced to nine years and six months in prison. He was also made the subject of an indefinite restraining order to protect his daughter.

Stacy said: “He was an awful dad and played almost zero part in my life.

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“I never really even thought about him until I was left with nowhere to go after a break-up and a family member suggested I could reconnect with him.

“I thought 'why not?' as I'd always craved having a father figure in my life deep down.

“At first living him was really lovely. We got on so well. I couldn't believe how good things were.

“But he soon became really weird with me, almost a bit obsessed with me and hated my having a new boyfriend.

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“But I'd never have thought he would go as far as he did that day.

“I'm just so glad that lighter didn't work, I'd have been up in flames in seconds.

“He kept trying it though. He was desperate to hurt me. He'd probably have killed me.

“I get why my mum told me to steer well clear of him now.”

Stacy says her dad Mark Brooks became ‘jealous’ and obsessive’ after she found a new partner

Stacy's ordeal began after she had split from a partner and, not knowing where to turn, reconnected with her dad, who welcomed her 'with open arms'.

He allowed Stacy to live with him and the pair became close - going on meals out, dog walks and enjoying movie nights together.

This was until, Stacy - who is currently unemployed - found love with a new partner.

She claims her dad, Mark, became 'jealous' and 'obsessive' over her - even 'begging' her not to move in with her new bloke.

Despite moving in with her new partner, Stacy desperately tried to stay in touch with her dad as she became increasingly worried about his lifestyle.

But she became frustrated when he would only get in touch 'asking for money' and when she confronted him about this, Mark became angry.

He turned up at the house share she was living in, just minutes away from his own flat, and doused her with a flammable liquid.

After squirting what she believes to be petrol all over her face, clothes and body, he tried to set her alight.

She said: ''He'd burst into where I was living, ranting and raving.

''He looked really scary and was making loads of threats to kill me, calling me a 'f***ing bitch' and saying I was 'dead'.

''It was horrible to see and hear him like that.

''He began getting his hands on me and smashed my head into a door, pulling me around the room by my hair.

''Before I knew it, he had grabbed a bottle from his coat pocket and was squeezing this liquid all over me.

''I knew what it was right away, it smelled like lighter fluid or petrol.

''I was so scared I just froze.

''He tried twice to set me up in flames but his lighter wouldn't work and when my housemates saw what was going on he ran off, thank god.''

During sentencing, Mark's solicitor told the court that his daughter had come back into his life at the beginning of 2021 and he had been concerned after she became involved with a new boyfriend who had a history of domestic violence and an involvement with drug-dealing.

Sentencing him, Recorder Matthew Happold said: “You poured liquid from a bottle onto her and took out a lighter and attempted to set it alight on two occasions.

"You hit and kicked her and threatened to kill her and then she took refuge in a neighbour’s flat and you threatened to set that front door alight.”

He added: “It does seem to me that it was only luck that prevented you setting your daughter alight rather than any action of your own.”

Despite being happy with his sentence, Stacy has been left emotionally scarred by the ordeal.

''He was never a good dad, he was never there but I wanted to give him a second chance,'' she explained.

''How could he do this to his own flesh and blood though?

''I'm a mum myself, I could never hurt my own kids.

''It's affected me loads, I'm always anxious now.

''If I smell petrol I get really freaked out, it sends me into a panic.

''I'm just glad he's finally got some justice - he deserves everything he gets."