TV presenter and inspirational acid attack survivor Katie Piper was left scarred for life following the ordeal involving sulphuric acid in March 2018.
The now-38-year-old was attacked on Golders Green in North London with the corrosive liquid on the orders of her obsessive former boyfriend, Daniel Lynch.
The vile attack left Katie needing over 400 operations to treat her burns. In her victim impact statement, she said: “When the acid was thrown at me, it felt like I was burning in hell. It was an indescribable, unique, torturous pain.
“I have lost my future, my career, my spirit, my body, my looks, my dignity…the list goes on. All I am left with is an empty shell. A part of me has died that will never come back. This is worse than death.”
But who attacked Katie Piper and how long was he sentenced to in prison?
Here's everything you need to know.
Who attacked Katie Piper?
Katie was attacked on Golders Green by Stefan Sylvestre on the orders of the model's obsessive ex-boyfriend, who was later jailed for life with a minimum of 16 years.
Sylvestre, from Shepherds Bush in London, was just 19 at the time of the attack and in 2009, he was sentenced to life with a minimum of six years.
In court, Lynch and Sylvestre were told by Judge Nicholas Browne QC they were "the face of pure evil".
Katie's attacker became eligible for parole in 2015 but his application was blocked after he was deemed unfit for release.
Another application in 2018 was successful and he was freed but ordered to stay away from victim Katie, who later stated that his release was a 'really difficult time' for her.
However, in 2019 he was recalled to prison over an unrelated incident. Sylvestre became eligible for parole again in 2020 and was released after prosecution errors came to light.
By the time of his release, he had married mum-of-one Danielle Burke while in prison.
Since the attack, Katie has gone on to have numerous surgery procedures as she rebuilds her life while filming documentaries and TV shows to help other burn victims.
The 38-year-old was awarded an OBE for charity and burns services earlier this year, and has starred in the likes of Strictly Come Dancing, Songs of Praise and Loose Women.
Why has Stefan Sylvestre been recalled to prison?
Following his release from prison in 2020, Sylvestre has gone on the run after being recalled to prison for breaching his licence conditions.
He was paroled 11 years after the sick assault, and has been warned he faces more time in jail after going AWOL while on licence.
A Probation Service spokesman said: “We are urgently working with the police to bring the offender back to prison where he’ll face longer behind bars.”
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