Thug launched acid attack in face of teenager

A THUG launched corrosive acid in the face of a 16-year-old boy in an ‘insidious’ revenge attack.

- BY AMY WALKER & JON HARRIS - CAVENDISH PRESS

Gilson Martins approached the teenager in Woodley, Stockport in March last year before demanding his coat off him. He then threw the substance into his face and fled.

Martins had been in a rage after claiming the boy had sold him three grammes of cocaine when he was expected 7g

Nearby, awaiting co-defendant Joanne Edwards, 45, picked him up and drove him from the scene on Brandon Road. In the hours after the attack, he boasted it had ‘gone down a treat’

The 16-year-old went to a friend’s house to shower off the acid before going to hospital. He was left with a large chemical burn to his neck and face.

Days later, Martins hunted down the 21-year-old son of Edwards, who had overheard his plans to attack the boy, during which he showed off the acid and exclaimed: “Imagine that on his skin? It’s going to melt his face off.”

Minshull Street Crown Court heard he kicked in the back door of his house whilst the man barricaded himself in his bedroom. Martins then made threats to stab him and throw acid on him before stating he would ‘carve his name into him’

When 23-year-old Martins was finally caught up with, police found drugs, a balaclava and a bottle of hydrofluoric acid.

Jailing him, Recorder David Temkin KC said: “This is an extremely serious case resulting in an attack on a 16-year-old boy in revenge.”

The court heard that Martins dealt drugs to the boy before and planned to attack him with the acid. He showed Edwards’ son the acid, as well as the burns on his legs he had got from it when he had spilt it on himself.

“You also demonstrated the toxic nature of it by pouring it onto a piece of paper which burned,’ said the judge. “You said this about the attack: “Imagine that on his skin? It’s going to melt his face off.”