Photo: AVON AND SOMERSET POLICE
On Wednesday,a judged sentenced her to life in prisonwith minimum of 12 years before being considered for parole, according to SkyNews. Wallace was cleared of murder, the outlet reports.
In September 2015, Wallace threw 98% sulphuric acid on Van Dongen after luring him to her Bristol apartment, theGuardianreports.
Wallace laughed as the acid burned off Van Dongen’s skin, telling him, “If I can’t have you, no-one else can,” SkyNews reports.
The attack came after Van Dongen ended his five-year relationship with Wallace, according to theGuardian. Van Dongen went to his ex’s apartment to tell her he was going to be moving in with his new girlfriend.
Van Dongen, 29, suffered extensive burns and was left paralyzed from the neck down, according to SkyNews. In Jan. 2017, he went to a euthanasia clinic in his native Belgium and ended his life.
The Bristol Crown Court judge called the attack “an act of pure evil” and described Wallace as controlling and dangerous, according to theGuardian.
“Your intention was to burn, disfigure and disable Mark van Dongen so that he would not be attractive to any other woman,” Mrs. Justice Nicola Davis told Wallace, according to SkyNews.
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After Wallace threw the acid on him, Van Dongen ran outside for help from neighbors, SkyNews reports.
“I looked out of the window and there was a guy standing there in his boxer shorts and he looked a really odd colour from his head down to his shoulders,” neighbor Nic White testified in court, according to the outlet.
“He looked like he was covered in a clay sort of mud, which I later realized was his skin melting,” White continued.
Outside the court on Wednesday, Van Dongen’s father, Kees van Dongen, told reporters he was happy with the judge’s sentence.
“I am very pleased she is going to be locked up for 12 years, but really this is too little, as we as a family have been sentenced for life. I hope she messes up and doesn’t ever come out of prison again,” Kees van Dongen said, according to theGuardian.
He added: “There are only losers in this case. This has completely ruined our lives – financially and as a family. Our home has fallen apart. I hope we can start to pick up the pieces and rebuild.”
source: people.com
