Lewisham teenager convicted after 'sickening and unprovoked' acid attack

Aarron Isaac, 19, of Elverson Road and a 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named due to his age, denied carrying out the attack on Wayne Ingold in Witham, Essex last August.

A jury at Chelmsford Crown Court returned a unanimous verdict on Thursday afternoon (October 8) following an eight day trial.

Mr Ingold, who was not in court to hear the verdict, said justice had prevailed after the two teenagers were found guilty.

The 57-year-old said: "I am absolutely elated.

"I have been in court Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and I purposely wasn’t going to go today because I felt uneasy.

"They were leering at me and laughing in my face all the time.

"I was worried they were going to be found not guilty."

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Mr Ingold added: "It has been very, very hard.

"It’s been very wearing when you are sat in court being questioned yourself and they are trying to say me and my witness gave the wrong description.

"It does make you question yourself.

"But being a photographer for 30 years, when I see something, I remember it."

On the day of the attack, Mr Ingold had gone to collect his post from the communal entrance to a block of flats when he encountered two men banging on the door.

Following a brief exchange, the liquid - which was in a glass bottle - was thrown over him before the defendants ran off.

He suffered severe injuries to his hands, body and face and had to have skin grafts, which are still ongoing.

The court heard how the 16-year-old attended St George’s Hospital in London with injuries to his eye that day.

When he was later arrested, the boy claimed he had been attacked in the Phipps Bridge estate in Merton and had not alerted police because he was selling cannabis.

The court also heard how "corrosive" liquids had been found in a search of the boy’s home address.

Wayne Ingold said justice has prevailed after the jury returned a guilty verdict.

DS Becky Young, who led the investigation, said: "This was a sickening and unprovoked attack by two very dangerous young men on an innocent man who was simply going about his business.

"This attack left the victim with life-changing injuries.

"He will not only be dealing with the physical scars but also the mental scars for a long time to come.

"I hope today’s verdicts bring a small level of closure for him."

Isaac and the 16-year-old boy, from Mitcham, have been remanded in custody until their sentencing on November 6.

The judge warned they face significant custodial sentences.