GUILTY: Mohammed Rafiq, 80, will be sentenced in December for the acid revenge-attack on his teenage ex-lover Vikki Horsman which left her with “life-changing” injuries
GUILTY: Mohammed Rafiq, 80, will be sentenced in December for the acid revenge-attack on his teenage ex-lover Vikki Horsman which left her with “life-changing” injuries

A Wolverhampton Crown Court has convicted an 80-year-old man guilty of masterminding an acid revenge attack on his teenage ex-lover.

Mohammed Rafiq had denied inflicting grievous bodily harm on Vikki Horsman, 20, who was left scarred by the attack in April this year, when she was still aged 19.

Rafiq had denied arranging the attack in retaliation for Ms Horsman ending the pair’s relationship early this year.

Rafiq, of Cheshire Road, Smethwick, will be sentenced on 19th  December.

Shannon Heaps, 23, and Steven Holmes, 25, were also found guilty of plotting to attack Ms Horsman at a house in Tividale, West Midlands.

During the trial, the court heard Ms Horsman had entered into a relationship with “controlling” Rafiq when she was 18.

ATTACKERS: Steven Holmes and Shannon Heaps were given the job of carrying out the acid attack by Mohammed Rafiq
ATTACKERS: Steven Holmes and Shannon Heaps were given the job of carrying out the acid attack by Mohammed Rafiq

He became angered when she broke up with him, and arranged for Heaps and Holmes to attack her with the corrosive liquid.

On 15th April, she opened the door of the house in Tividale, West Midlands and was met by a hooded figure who threw acid in her face.

Vikki Horsman told the court Rafiq had accused her of cheating on him while they were together.

She suffered “horrific” burns as a result, requiring specialist surgery to her face, neck, shoulders, and upper leg, police said.

They said Rafiq, who suffered minor burns himself when he was splashed with liquid, was initially treated as a victim but later charged.

He and Heaps, of Queens Avenue, and Holmes, of Allan Close, were found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Rafiq was convicted of a further charge of perverting the course of justice.

Speaking after the trial, Ms Horsman told how she had been left with “life-changing” injuries.

“I have had to undergo lots of treatment for the burns and the damage those people caused,” she said.

“The trauma and distress that Rafiq and his accomplices have put me under have left mental scars that I fear will never go away.”

Investigating officer Det Con Jason Moseley said the case had been “horrifying and complex” and “centred around a controlling relationship”.

“Rafiq’s young ex-partner was seriously injured and left with devastating, lasting scars, which one can only presume was his intent given the nature of the planned attack,” he said.