Lover on trial for murder after hurling acid in face of her ex... who killed himself a year later
Court hears victim’s evidence from beyond the grave
AN engineer killed himself more than a year after a jealous former lover threw acid over his face and body, a court heard yesterday.
The attack left Mark van Dongen, 29, paralysed from the neck down, unrecognisable and all but blinded.
It was allegedly carried out by Berlinah Wallace, 48, who mockingly told him: ‘If I can’t have you, no one can.’
Mr van Dongen suffered 15 months of pain before being granted euthanasia in his native Belgium. He died at a suicide clinic.
In a highly unusual move, prosecutors charged Wallace with murder on the grounds the attack directly resulted in her ex’s death. And Mr van Dongen gave evidence ‘from the grave’ – with jurors being shown a police interview in which he described the attack at the flat he shared with Wallace.
‘She woke me up and said “If I can’t have you no one can”,’ he recalled. ‘And she laughed and just threw the acid, it was a square box with about an inch of acid.’
Mr van Dongen ran out into the street screaming in pain before a neighbour took him upstairs, put him in a shower and called 999. He screamed all the way to hospital, telling paramedics: ‘Kill me now, if my face is left looking like this. I don’t want to live.’
Police found Wallace with a paintbrush and a piece of cloth. Asked what injured Mr van Dongen, the fashion student replied: ‘Acid. I was using it to distress some fabric.’
Bristol Crown Court heard the couple had been seeing each other for five years and lived in Redland, an upmarket area of the city. Their relationship ran into trouble when Mr van Dongen started seeing another woman, Violet Farquharson in August 2015.
Shortly before his death, Mr van Dongen had told his colleagues that Wallace had been violent toward him. They said he ‘seemed genuinely scared’ of her.
Jurors were told she bought a bottle of sulphuric acid on Amazon and spent weeks searching for news stories and graphic pictures relating to acid attack victims.
She also carried out internet searches, including ‘can I die from drinking sulphuric acid?’ The couple exchanged loving messages vowing to make the relationship work again on September 22, the night before the attack.
Mr van Dongen sent her a text saying: ‘I love you, I always have. I’m truly sorry for what I’ve done, we need to work on our relationship. You and me are meant to be. I’ve always known that. I will treat you as you deserve to be treated. You are my princess.’
Wallace replied: ‘It means a lot hearing these words. You are the love of my life. God does not make a mistake in this. I love you with all my heart.’ That night they arranged to have dinner together, but Mr van Dongen went to see his new girlfriend instead. The pair argued when he returned at 10pm and Wallace is said to have left to stay in a hotel. However, she returned at 3am and barged into their bedroom before allegedly tossing acid over his body. Mr van Dongen was rushed to Southmead Hospital in Bristol, and asked paramedics to ‘Please check that my girlfriend is OK’ because he feared Wallace would target Miss Farquharson next. Mr van Dongen was kept in the inten- sive care unit for six months before being moved to a burns ward, spending 14 months in hospital. His left leg was amputated below the knee, he lost the vision in his left eye and was left partially sighted in his right eye. He eventually regained speech but was permanently paralysed from the neck down and fell into depression. Adam Vaitilingam QC, prosecuting, said: ‘Sometimes he said he wanted to live, at other times that he wanted to die.’ Needing constant care, he returned home by ambulance to Overpelt in Belgium. Doctors there confirmed he was paralysed for life and taking maximum pain relief. Mr van Dongen applied for euthanasia, which was approved by three consultants who said his suffering was unbearable. His life was ended in January. Richard Smith QC, defending, said: ‘It is Berlinah Wallace’s case that that evening as he had often done before, Mark had encouraged sulphuric her to acid consider they drinking had bought the for clearing the drains.’ She denies two charges, one of murder and one of applying a corrosive fluid. The trial continues.
‘Screamed all the way to hospital’