Two men have been convicted for an acid attack in the street with their victim still undergoing painful medical treatment 20 months later with what detectives describe as “horrifying life-changing injuries”.
The thugs who attacked him, one from Barking and the other from East Ham, are facing years behind bars after being found guilty at their trial.
Both were convicted for the attack in Burges Road, off Barking Road in East Ham, on February 12, 2018.
Muhammed Al-Ali, a 24-year-old from Sisley Road in Barking, was found guilty on Thursday of throwing a noxious substance with intent to maim, disfigure or cause grievous bodily harm with intent.
He was jailed for 20 years, to serve at least 15 years with five years on license, following a trial ending at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Thursday.
One of his accomplices, Sahme Mohammed, a 28-year-old from Park Avenue in East Ham, was convicted on the same charges and is being sentenced in January.
A third suspect who was arrested with them on suspicion of GBH with intent was charged with throwing a noxious substance with intent to maim, disfigure and with causing GBH with intent. But he died on June 29 before the trial.
The attack started when three men turned up at Burges Road in a silver saloon car in February last year and hit their victim with a brick, the court heard.
The men then got corrosive liquid from the car and poured it onto his face, causing what detectives later described as "catastrophic injuries". The substance caused the man severe burn injuries to his arms and body as well as his face.
"The injuries were devastating," Det Con Faye Cook said after the trial. "The victim has had to have and continues to undergo a long and painful schedule of treatment."
Passers-by managed to douse him with water before medics arrived who described what happened to him as "a devastating chemical injury".
The man was rushed to hospital. He needed skin grafts and the reconstruction of his eyelid and is still having medical treatment almost two years on.
His attackers were identified from CCTV and forensic evidence. Mohammed was arrested on February 16, four days after the attack, and Al-Ali 1o days later.
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