Indirect Causation

At around 3am on September 23rd 2015, residents of Westbury Park, Bristol, were awoken by the sound of agonizing pleas for help coming from the street. A man, dressed in just his boxer shorts was running blindly down the road, screaming in pain. As members of the public tried to assist him, they thought that he had mud on his face, but when they asked him what happened he told them that someone had thrown acid onto him. When he was asked who did it, he was audibly terrified and answered “my ex”.

Support:

Domestic Abuse Support: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/domestic-abuse-how-to-get-help

COVID Specific Domestic Abuse Guidance: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/domestic-abuse-how-to-get-help

Sources:

Articles:

1. https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/r-v-wallace-sentencing.pdf

2. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/acid-victim-mark-van-dongen-spelt-name-of-attacker-berlinah-wallace-by-pointing-at-letters-with-tongue-jt0pxbcgt

3. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/suicide-victim-mark-van-dongen-murdered-by-girlfriend-berlinah-wallace-in-acid-attack-bristol-crown-court-told-577xp76kn

4. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/life-sentence-for-spurned-lover-berlinah-wallace-who-disfigured-ex-mark-van-dongen-in-acid-attack-gsh66v9s2

5. https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/fashion-student-berlinah-wallace-accused-1505686

6. https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/mark-van-dongen-died-euthanasia-1491941

7. https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/engineer-mark-van-dongen-who-1496215

8. https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/mark-van-dongen-told-police-1500174

9. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/jealous-student-who-poured-acid-over-boyfriend-cleared-of-murder-fjjrgkgnc

10. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-neurosurgeon-henry-marsh-on-why-assisted-dying-should-be-legalised-d0qm3wrl8

11. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/acid-victim-mark-van-dongen-spelt-name-of-attacker-berlinah-wallace-by-pointing-at-letters-with-tongue-jt0pxbcgt

12. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/nov/08/man-died-in-euthanasia-clinic-after-acid-attack-trial-told

13. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/nov/09/mark-van-dongen-berlinah-wallace-trial-acid-attack-son-speech

14. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/nov/10/man-told-police-of-blackmail-weeks-before-acid-attack-court-told

15. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/may/03/woman-in-acid-trial-says-she-felt-so-sad-over-boyfriends-injuries

16. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2782806/woman-charged-with-murder-after-ex-dies-15-months-after-uks-first-fatal-acid-attack-which-left-him-paralysed-from-the-neck-down/

17. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-43975990

18. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-43862384

19. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-44003531

20. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-43988075

21. https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-england-44159508

22. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-43838866

23. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-42166912

24. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-38570439

25. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-41914798

26. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/timeline-how-acid-attack-case-unfolded-36938331.html

27. https://www.casemine.com/judgement/uk/5b46f2212c94e0775e7f273a

28. https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/updates-father-mark-van-dongen-749686

29. https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/updates-woman-trial-murder-accused-743410

30. https://news.sky.com/story/live-acid-murder-accused-gives-evidence-11356648

31. https://news.sky.com/story/berlinah-wallace-found-guilty-of-acid-attack-on-ex-boyfriend-11375729

32. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5740839/Woman-48-threw-acid-ex-lover-acquitted-murder.html

33. https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/full-father-bristol-acid-attack-1596011

34. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b0b5scx1

35. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/crime/listen-harrowing-999-call-after-12553370

36. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-43949310

37. https://news.sky.com/story/live-woman-accused-of-acid-murder-gives-evidence-11355605

38. https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/berlinah-wallace-fascinated-acid-visited-1579405

Additional information and audio courtesy of Avon and Somerset Police