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Life sentence for man who arranged revenge acid attack on ex-partner (26 October 2015)

Date: 26/10/2015
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, Life sentence for man who arranged revenge acid attack on ex-partner

A man who carried out a revenge attack on his former partner by arranging for acid to be thrown over her has been sentenced to life imprisonment at Ipswich Crown Court.

Anthony Riley – the ex-partner of the victim Adele Bellis, who was 22 at the time of the attack – had carried out a six-month campaign of harassment against Ms Bellis.

At the time of the acid attack in August 2014, she had been waiting at a bus stop in Lowestoft, Suffolk, when an unknown man approached and threw sulphuric acid over her, leaving her with life changing injuries.

CPS East of England Senior District Crown Prosecutor, Punam Malhan, described the case as “one of the worst revenge attacks we have prosecuted”.

“Witnesses described seeing Miss Bellis' hair and skin dissolving – she lost an ear, is partially bald and permanently scarred,” Ms Malhan said.

“This is one of the worst revenge attacks we have prosecuted in the East of England – it was organised by Anthony Riley, the ex-partner of the victim, and it resulted in life changing injuries.

“The prosecution case was that this was an attack orchestrated by Mr Riley, who had been carrying out a six-month campaign of harassment against Miss Bellis.

“He was also responsible for arranging an earlier attack by his co-defendant, Leon Thompson, in which she was stabbed in the face. Not content with arranging this earlier attack, Mr Riley then decided to escalate his campaign of violence – and arranged for Jason Harrison to throw acid over Miss Bellis, leaving her badly scarred.”

On 2 September 2015 at Ipswich Crown Court, Anthony Riley and Leon Thompson were both convicted of causing grievous bodily harm with intent –
and conspiracy to apply a corrosive substance – between 1 May 2014 and 15 August 2014.

Riley was also convicted of false imprisonment on 15 March 2014 – and Thompson was convicted of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm in relation to the stabbing on 29 April 2014.

Riley was told he should serve at least 13 years in jail before being considered for release. His co-defendant, Leon Thompson, was sentenced to a total of 15 years.

Jason Harrison and Daniel Marshall both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to apply a corrosive substance between 1 May 2014 and 15 August 2014.

Harrison was sentenced to four years and four months for his part in the acid attack.

Marshall was sentenced to six years for the offence. He also pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice between 15 August 2014 and 21 February 2015, by making a false statement to the police. For that offence, he was sentenced to one year in prison, to run consecutively with the conspiracy offence – a total of seven years' imprisonment.

After sentencing, Ms Malhan said:

“I would like to praise Miss Bellis' courage in giving evidence against these men, who have caused her so much pain and suffering.

“I hope today's sentences can give her some satisfaction that justice has been done.”

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