'Jealous 80-year-old man arranged to have acid thrown at ex teenage lover'

An 80-year-old man arranged to have acid thrown over his 19-year-old lover after he became jealous of her growing independence, a court has heard.Mohammed Rafiq convinced two men to hurl the liquid at the young woman in a bid to control her, jurors were told. Vikki Horsman suffered eight per cent burns over her body after she was doused with the acid during the horrendous attack on April 15 this year.

Rafiq, her former lover who is more than 60 years older than her, was described by the prosecution barrister Anthony Warner as "controlling".

Mr Warner said Ms Horsman had even converted to Islam and changed her name to Aleena Rafiq in 2013 to suit the old man, after starting a sexual relationship.

She had lost her mother and father in quick succession and "came to rely" on Rafiq, who bought her a car.

However, prosecutors say Rafiq, of Smethwick, West Midlands, became unhappy with Ms Horsman's increasing independence and increasingly "obsessed" with her movements, even going through her personal possessions.

On one occasion, Mr Warner said Rafiq had sent her photos of used condom packets he had apparently found in her bedroom.

The prosecution allege he planned the attack with co-accused Shannon Heaps, 23, and 25-year-old Steven Holmes, who is said to have carried out the attack in the porch of a house in Tividale, West Midlands.

Heaps, of Tividale, and Holmes, of Smethwick, are standing trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court together with Rafiq, who also denies a charge of perverting the course of justice.

Mr Warner said Ms Horsman, a nursing home worker, described how she was told a man was at the front door of the house by Rafiq, who had himself only popped in a few minutes before the attack.

But when she opened the door "a black liquid" was doused over her, hitting her directly in the face and neck.

Mr Warner said: "She screamed loudly and felt a terrible burning pain".

As she was sent reeling backwards by the assault, the prosecution barrister described how the victim saw the skin on her face "blistering" in a nearby mirror.

But he added that Rafiq "may not have bargained for the fact that, in her terror, the victim of the attack would get some of the black liquid transferred to him" - the older man's defence is expected to say he was also a victim of the attack.

Prosecutors argue witnesses and mobile phone evidence will prove Rafiq spoke and met with both Heaps and Holmes, in the hours beforehand.

Mr Warner told the jury they would also hear from a man who was present during a meeting between the three, hearing Rafiq tell Holmes he wanted the younger man to deliver "a gift to a girlfriend", and that Heaps would "show him the address".

source:Uk Mirror