Man jailed for alkali attack at off-grid community

A man who threw a corrosive substance in the face of an acquaintance during a mistaken revenge attack at an off-grid community which left his victim blind and permanently disfigured has been jailed for 15 years.

Jivan Dean, 24, attacked Raven Riley, 21, with sodium hydroxide after wrongly believing he had been in contact with his girlfriend.

Dean was seen to heat up a liquid in a pan on a hob before hurling it in the face of Mr Riley while he was sitting in a chair at a property in the Tipi Valley in Carmarthenshire.

The assault left him blinded in both eyes and with burns to his head, face, neck and chest during the incident on August 14 this year, Swansea Crown Court was told.

‘Contact’

Carina Hughes, prosecuting, said the defendant had previously told people he suspected Mr Riley and his girlfriend had been having “some form of contact”.

“It is clear from the evidence of Raven Riley that he had only met the defendant’s girlfriend on one occasion whilst in the company of the defendant,” she said.

“Just prior to this incident the defendant was seen at the hob in the kitchen stirring something in a pot.

“It was about 30 minutes after the defendant arrived and while Raven Riley was sitting alone in the living room that the defendant walked towards Raven and from a distance of about four to five feet while holding a pan threw the very hot liquid contents towards Raven Riley.

“As he threw it, he stated ‘stay away from my girlfriend’.

“Raven Riley immediately felt he was burning, and he was screaming. and he pulled off his clothing and ran about trying to find a tap.

“He managed to run out of the property and was heard shouting ‘help, help, it burns, I cannot see’.”

Opaque eyes

People nearby went to his assistance, noting his white, opaque eyes, and he was taken to hospital for treatment.

The court heard Mr Riley can now see only blurred shapes and requires help with everyday tasks. Doctors are unable to say what the prognosis is for the return of his eyesight.

In a victim impact statement, Mr Riley said his life was in “limbo” and he now had to use eye drops every three hours.

“I am now reliant on others and was completely independent before the incident. It upsets me as my independence has been cruelly taken away from me in such a horrific way,” he said.

“I have nightmares most nights, regarding the incident – they keep me awake – and I have an awful sleeping pattern because of this, the nightmares do not stop.

“I used to have long, curly hair before the incident. That will not be something I will ever be able to have again, another thing that has been taken away from me.

“My eyesight has not returned, and I cannot see properly. I do not know whether my eyesight will improve, I am still hopeful.

“Because of Jivan my life will no longer be the same. He can still see, I cannot. His actions were reckless, and they’ve turned my life upside down.”

‘Slight’

Dean, of no fixed address, had previously pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent and causing a dangerous or noxious thing to be received with intent to burn.

Richard Ace, defending, said the attack was an “immature response” to a “slight”.

“We can call it revenge and it is an immature response from a young person, an outrageous response of course to do what he has done,” he said.

Passing sentence, Judge Geraint Walters said he had concluded Dean was dangerous and passed an extended sentence of 15 years’ custody with another four years on licence.

“The circumstances of this case are truly disturbing,” the judge said.

“Once the deed was done you left the property, seemingly with not a care in the world.

“In fact, the impression that I get is that you were pleased with yourself that you had, in fact, achieved the objective of permanently maiming a man that you consider to be a suitor to the point that you believe that no partner would ever want to look at him again.

“The wickedness of this goes beyond most reasoning. It follows from everything that I’ve heard about you and read about you that you have not shown any remorse whatsoever from what you did, none at all.

“This case involves the cold, calculated, deliberate act of unimaginable cruelty which was intended to maim your victim for life.

“Short of killing your victim, you couldn’t have done him any more harm.”

Dean was also made subject of a restraining order for life against Mr Riley.

‘Appalling’

Detective Chief Inspector Gary Williams, of Dyfed-Powys Police, said: “This was an appalling act of violence, which was carried out with the intent of causing significant harm.

“The victim suffered chemical burns the likes of which hospital staff had never seen, and his eyesight is likely to be impacted for the rest of his life.”

The Tipi Valley is an off-grid eco-community founded in 1976 near the village of Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire.