TV star’s ex-boyfriend guilty of club acid attack
THE ex-boyfriend of reality TV star Ferne McCann has been found guilty of an acid attack in a packed nightclub.
Arthur Collins, the father of The Only Way Is Essex star’s newborn daughter, hurled the substance over a crowd at the Mangle E8 in Dalston, east London, on April 17.
The 25-year-old, of Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, was convicted at Wood Green Crown Court yesterday of five counts of grievous bodily harm with intent, and nine counts of actual bodily harm against 14 people, by a majority verdict of 10 to two.
There were tears in the public gallery as the jury’s verdict was read out, which was packed with Collins’ family and friends.
Collins remained calm, and even gave his family a wink before sitting down after hearing the jury’s decision.
He admitted throwing the bottle of fluid over clubbers but said he did not know it was acid.
He said he thought the liquid was a date rape drug, which he had snatched from two men after overhearing them planning to spike a girl’s drink.
A total of 22 people reported injuries to the police when acid was thrown over the dancefloor, which was packed with Bank Holiday revellers.
A total of 16 people suffered chemical burn injuries and three people were temporarily blinded – one of whom still suffers from blurred vision in one eye.
Collins said he had been out celebrating the news of Ms McCann’s pregnancy, which they had announced to her family the previous day. CCTV showed him and codefendant Andre Phoenix, 21, arriving at the club at about 9pm before getting into a confrontation with a group of men about four hours later.
At about 1am people are seen clutching their faces and running off the dancefloor after Collins douses them with a liquid.
The substance was later found to have contained a liquid with a rating of pH1, indicating a strong acid.
Collins and Phoenix were identified from the CCTV footage, in which Collins could be seen wearing a T-shirt with the word “killer” written on it.
Phoenix was arrested on April 21 but Collins went on the run and was not apprehended until several days later.
Collins was Tasered as he was seized by armed police after trying to flee from an upstairs window of a house in Higham Ferrers, Northants.
At his first court appearance he appeared in the dock on crutches due to the leg injuries he sustained.
He has a previous conviction for actual bodily harm in December 2015, after punching another man in the face in another nightclub attack.
On April 10, a week before the attack, Collins sent a text to his sister reading: “Tell mum to mind that little hand wash in my car acid”.
Collins said the “hand wash” was actually a hair-thickening shampoo containing amino acid and coconut oil, and he was concerned about his young nieces finding it and “biting it”.
He said he kept his shampoo in his car so Ms McCann did not find out about his hair loss and his two hair transplants.
Following his conviction, two of his victims called for tougher sentences for anyone convicted of an acid attack.
Phoebe Georgiou, 23, suffered severe burns to her chest and arms, while her friend Laura Trent, 22, suffered first degree burns to her legs, feet, chest and neck.
Miss Georgiou said: “Now I have a life sentence to deal with, with scars and mental injuries.”
Phoenix, of Clyde Road, Tottenham, north London, was acquitted of four counts of grievous bodily harm and two of actual bodily harm yesterday.
The semi-professional cage fighter said if he had a problem with someone he would just “knock them out” and insisted “I would never roll with acid”.
Judge Noel Lucas QC adjourned Collins’ sentencing until December 19 for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.
He warned Collins to expect a “very substantial immediate custodial sentence”.