by A man deliberately threw a pan of boiling corrosive liquid into a man’s face to permanently disfigure him because the victim had previously spoken to his girlfriend, a court has heard. The victim was left with horrific burns to his face, scalp, neck and body and with very limited vision after the powerful alkali burned his eyes.
Swansea Crown Court heard Jivan Dean took the substance to the property where he knew the victim would be and heated it on a stove before throwing it at the man. A judge described the “evil” of 24-year-old Dean as “beyond most reasoning”. He told the defendant he was guilty of a “cold, calculated, deliberate act of unimaginable cruelty aimed at destroying your victim for life”.
In a powerful statement read by the victim, the victim said Dean would never know how much pain and suffering he had caused him and his family, adding that his life had been “destroyed” by the defender. Dean, who remained emotionless throughout the hearing, was given an extended sentence of 19 years as a dangerous offender.
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The alkaline attack happened at the community of Tipi Valley, as it is called, near Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire on August 14 this year. Carina Hughes, the prosecutor, said this afternoon that the victim in the case – 20-year-old Raven Riley – visited a friend at the scene, and about an hour later the defendant arrived carrying bag too. She said that Mr Riley knew the defendant socially and as an “acquaintance” but there were no issues between them as far as he was concerned. The prosecutor said Divan had previously told people he suspected there was “some kind of contact” between his girlfriend and Mr Riley – for his part Mr Riley said he had spoken to the woman in question once, and that was in the presence of the defendant. .
The court heard that other people present at the property later reported how Dean was making funny faces, laughing under his breath and “muttering” to himself while at the property. The prosecutor said he later saw a pot of white liquid heating on the stove in the kitchen – when asked what it was, he replied it was ketamine. The defendant then took the hot pot from the cook and walked into the room where Mr Riley was sitting alone looking at his phone. Dean threw the contents of the pot into his victim’s face shouting “Stay away from my girl!”
The court heard that Mr Riley felt immediate pain and burning and began to scream. He tore off some of his clothes and ran around looking for a tap shouting “Help! Help” It burns, I can’t see it”. sitting on it was “bubbling” and melting after the attack described how his face looked red and his eyes white, and how he was trembling and clearly in shock.
Meanwhile Dean has left Glen Tipi and launched a police officer to find him. The court heard over the following days the defendant contacted several friends who advised him to turn himself in, and then on August 16 he was spotted by police walking near Penygaer playing fields in Llanelli and arrested. He was interviewed twice the next day and answered “no comment” to every question asked. For the latest court reports, sign up to our crime newsletter here
The court heard that the victim suffered burns to six percent of his body, some of which were “full thickness” burns. The burns were mainly on his face, scalp, neck and chest but his arms and legs were also burnt. Mr Riley underwent “significant ophthalmic intervention” to try to save his eyesight, a regular showering routine and wound dressing, and later required a skin graft on his scalp after an infection developed.
In a statement read to the court by the prosecutor, Mr Riley described how the defendant’s actions had affected him. He said he was left with scars on his face, head, neck and body and no sight in one eye and very limited sight in the other. He said he cannot read or do the daily tasks of life with family help, is in pain all the time, rarely leaves the house, and is kept awake most of the time. nights of nightmares. Mr Riley said he was waiting to start counseling and had not yet had time to start processing what had happened to him. He said he would never look the way he used to and it was something he had to try to deal with, and he recalled how he spent his 21st birthday in pain and in hospital receiving treatment. He said the defendant was impressed by the sight, adding: “He [Dean] it will never be known how much pain and suffering he caused me and my family. He has ruined my life”
Jivan Dean, of Talley, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, previously pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and throwing a dangerous or noxious object with intent to injure, disfigure or cause grievous bodily harm. for someone when he arrived in the dock for sentencing. He has one previous conviction for one offence, possession of ketamine in 2020.
Richard Ace, for Dean, said the defendant was born in Gloucestershire and later moved to west Wales. He said his client was home schooled and “wasn’t intelligible” even though he had no qualifications, and said he worked as a labourer. The lawyer described Dean as “a man of few words” and said on the defendant’s own account that he considered that the plaintiff in the case gave “slight of some attention to his girlfriend”.
Judge Geratin Walters described the facts of the case as “really disturbing”. He said it appeared that the defendant felt betrayed by Mr Riley’s actions towards his girlfriend and had hurt his victims so that no woman would look at him that way again. He said: “This wickedness passes most reasoning”. The judge told Dean he was guilty of a “cold, calculated, deliberate act of unimaginable cruelty intended to destroy your victim for life”.
The person noted the defendant’s attitude towards the author of the pre-sentence report which included him being hostile to the woman and staring at her directly in silence for long periods. He also noted that the defendant had said that he had no intention of dealing with matters in prison or any help offered.
The judge said that Dean had no remorse for what he had done and said that he had no doubt that he should be considered a dangerous offender within the meaning of the law. With a one-third discount on his guilty pleas Dean was sentenced to an extended 19-year sentence which included 15 years in prison and an extended license period of four years. He can apply for release after serving two thirds of the custodial element of the sentence but it will be up to the Parole Board to decide if it is safe to release him.
Speaking after the sentencing, Craig Harding, senior crown prosecutor with the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Dean’s shocking attack showed that he intended to cause serious harm to the victim. It was a callous attack. We hope that Mr Riley’s recovery continues face and that he will be relieved to know that his attacker has been brought before the court.”
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