Facebook affair 'led to London acid attack'

Last updated at 18:20 GMT, Tuesday, 13 April 2010 19:20 UK

A man was left disfigured after acid was thrown in his face in revenge for him having an affair with a married woman, a court has heard.

Awais Akram, 25, was also stabbed in the attack in Leytonstone, east London, last July, the Old Bailey was told.

The jury heard he had met Sadia Khatoon on Facebook.

Her brother Mohammed Vakas and cousin Mohammed Adeel, both of Walthamstow, and a 17-year-old boy deny conspiracy to murder.

The boy cannot be named because of his age.

The court heard Akram looked like a "cross between a zombie and the Incredible Hulk" after the attack.

'Deadly trap'

It heard Mr Akram, who was born in Denmark, and Mrs Khatoon, who lived in Walthamstow, began a relationship in March or April 2009 after meeting online.

Prosecutor David Markham said: "There was a degree of physical intimacy between the couple.

"It appears that he and Sadia in particular took some risks in terms of where they met and the amount of calls between them, that the relationship would become known to her husband and her wider family."

He said after the affair was discovered Mrs Khatoon helped to lay a "deadly trap", "whether willingly or under some pressure".

In May Mr Akram went to Pakistan and got married but when he returned to Britain without his wife, Mrs Khatoon told him she wanted to meet up with him in Pakistan and promised to arrange his ticket.

A room was arranged for him in Leytonstone where he would stay for a week before the trip.

He gave a "running commentary" to her on the phone as he followed her instructions to collect the ticket from an internet cafe.

'Intention to kill'

Once there, he was set upon by a group of men who stabbed and beat him before pouring sulphuric acid on him.

Mr Markham said: "His attackers tried to pour sulphuric acid down his throat as Mr Akram covered his mouth.

"This was no robbery or attempted robbery. It was a very different order of crime indeed, conducted with an intention to kill."

The victim suffered 47% burns.

Mr Vakas admits conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm with intent while Mr Adeel and the 17-year-old boy deny the charge.

Mrs Khatoon and her husband Shakeel Abassi were last known to be in Pakistan, Mr Markham said.

The case continues.

From: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/8618524.stm