Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Teen Girl Converts To Islam For Muslim Lover, Doesn’t Turn Out As Planned



Acid attack: Vikki Horsman was doused with the burning liquid that left her with horrific burns

An 80-year-old man arranged to have acid thrown over his 19-year-old lover after he became jealous of her growing independence, a court has heard.
Vikki Horsman suffered eight per cent burns over her body after she was doused with the acid during the horrendous attack on April 15 this year.
Rafiq, her former lover who is more than 60 years older than her, was described by the prosecution barrister Anthony Warner as "controlling".
Mr Warner said Ms Horsman had even converted to Islam and changed her name to Aleena Rafiq in 2013 to suit the old man, after starting a sexual relationship.
She had lost her mother and father in quick succession and "came to rely" on Rafiq, who bought her a car.
However, prosecutors say Rafiq, of Smethwick, West Midlands, became unhappy with Ms Horsman's increasing independence and increasingly "obsessed" with her movements, even going through her personal possessions.
On one occasion, Mr Warner said Rafiq had sent her photos of used condom packets he had apparently found in her bedroom.


Vikki Horsman, 19, has been left scarred for life after a man threw high-strength cleaning fluid in her face
Converted: Vikki Horsman changed her religion to please Rafiq, the court was told
 Rafiq denies inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent on Ms Horsman, alongside two others.
The prosecution allege he planned the attack with co-accused Shannon Heaps, 23, and 25-year-old Steven Holmes, who is said to have carried out the attack in the porch of a house in Tividale, West Midlands.
Heaps, of Tividale, and Holmes, of Smethwick, are standing trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court together with Rafiq, who also denies a charge of perverting the course of justice.
Mr Warner said Ms Horsman, a nursing home worker, described how she was told a man was at the front door of the house by Rafiq, who had himself only popped in a few minutes before the attack.
But when she opened the door "a black liquid" was doused over her, hitting her directly in the face and neck.
Mr Warner said: "She screamed loudly and felt a terrible burning pain".
As she was sent reeling backwards by the assault, the prosecution barrister described how the victim saw the skin on her face "blistering" in a nearby mirror.
But he added that Rafiq "may not have bargained for the fact that, in her terror, the victim of the attack would get some of the black liquid transferred to him" - the older man's defence is expected to say he was also a victim of the attack.
Prosecutors argue witnesses and mobile phone evidence will prove Rafiq spoke and met with both Heaps and Holmes, in the hours beforehand.
Mr Warner told the jury they would also hear from a man who was present during a meeting between the three, hearing Rafiq tell Holmes he wanted the younger man to deliver "a gift to a girlfriend", and that Heaps would "show him the address".


Four people are accused of throwing acid in Vikki Horsman's face as she answered her door.
Savage: The attack took place on a doorstep after Vikki had opened the door
 The prosecution barrister added that before the attack on Ms Horsman, Rafiq handed a carrier bag allegedly containing the acid to Holmes.
The jury of seven women and five men were also told how one witness described hearing "a loud scream", with Holmes appearing moments later and telling them to "run".
Heaps and Holmes were also pictured on CCTV heading to and from the address, with the footage shown in court to the jury.
Mr Warner said it was the Crown's case Rafiq had later given witness statements to police which were "both misleading and untruthful" supplying them with the names of men unconnected to the assault, and false descriptions of the attackers.
Holmes, Heaps and Rafiq denied any involvement in the attack, with Holmes telling detectives: "I didn't do it."
Afterwards, Ms Horsman was treated for deep burns requiring specialist surgery to her face, neck, shoulders, and upper leg.
The prosecution barrister said she had "many years" of treatment ahead.
The jury also heard from Ms Stevens who told how she had been in a four-year sexual relationship with the older man from when she was just 16.

She disclosed that the mortgage on the house she currently lived in, where the attack on Miss Horsman took place, was half in the name of Rafiq's son after he stepped in over her financial 'difficulties'.

Ms Stevens recalled the older man's 'upset' when Ms Horsman told him the relationship was over, early in 2014.

She added the victim's family had make it clear they did not approve of the arrangement, and 'had been messaging him (Rafiq) saying she was down there with them eating bacon sandwiches and drinking alcohol'.

Terror: Miss Horsman described the moment the acid splashed her as 'just instant burning - piercing pain', affecting her face, neck, ears and shoulder
Terror: Miss Horsman described the moment the acid splashed her as 'just instant burning - piercing pain', affecting her face, neck, ears and shoulder
Later, the row over the relationship came to a head when an 'angry' Rafiq discovered a used condom in Miss Horsman's bedside drawer.

Ms Stevens, asked about Rafiq's reaction, claimed he told Miss Horsman: 'They're your condoms, there's only you - I don't use them."

The 36-year-old said he told her he no longer trusted Miss Horsman, claiming she 'was sleeping with other people and sleeping with her cousin'.

Her response was to tell the pensioner to accept the relationship was over, telling him 'you've got grandchildren older than her, let her get on with her life'.

However, on the subject of Miss Horsman's conversion to Islam, she also contradicted her friend's evidence that Rafiq had put her under pressure, saying: 'I tried to talk her out of it, as I didn't think she was ready - but she was adamant.'
The court also heard that Rafiq claimed he was just 45 when was dating Miss Horsman, although she said she didn't believe him. 
The Crown says Rafiq, of Smethwick, West Midlands, became unhappy with Miss Horsman’s increasing independence and increasingly 'obsessed' with her movements, even going through her personal possessions. 

Rafiq, who was also in the house at the time of the attack, is accused of planning the vicious assault along with Steven Holmes, 25, and 22-year-old Shannon Heaps.

However, on the subject of Ms Horsman's conversion to Islam, she also contradicted her friend's evidence that Rafiq had put her under pressure, saying: 'I tried to talk her out of it, as I didn't think she was ready - but she was adamant.

He said when Rafiq answered the front door of the house the called Miss Horsman to come downstairs to the front door telling her that there was a man there for her.

'The caller to the address was in fact Steven Holmes. Vikki was not expecting any callers that afternoon, unlike Mohammed Rafiq who certainly was.

'She went to the front bedroom window because she wasn't expecting anybody but the porch was in the way. She could see that the front door was just open and there was a man when she opened the door, Steven Holmes.

'He held out to her a green carrier bag, she went to take hold of it but when she went to take hold of it he didn't let go and then a black liquid was thrown over her.

'It hit her face, her neck, and she screamed out loud and felt a terrible burning pain and saw her face and neck was blistering by looking in the mirror.

He added: 'Rafiq may not have bargained for the fact that in her terror some of the black liquid would be transferred to him but it was and he himself received some injuries.'

The pensioner, from Smethwick, West Midlands, met with the two other defendents shortly before the attack and soon after, the court heard.

On the afternoon following, he picked up Holmes, also from Smethwick, in his Audi TT.
Two friends who witnessed them together said they later saw Heaps pass Holmes a green carrier bag containing a bottle before Rafiq drove off leaving the four men alone.

Mr Warner added: 'Fortunately the paramedics and ambulance did arrive quite quickly.
'She (Miss Horsman) was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and she was taken immediately to theatre for cleaning and dressing of wounds.

'She was taken to intensive care, the dressing was removed the next day revealing deep areas of burning to the chest, upper neck and left upper arm.

Miss Horseman spent days there and was on a ventilator at one stage.

She was taken to theatre again on April 22 for the first application of skin grafts taken from her right thigh.

She will require intensive scar management and occupational therapy for years and possibly further surgery. 

Rafiq, Holmes and Heaps all deny one charge of inflicting GBH with intent and Rafiq also denies a further charge of perverting the course of justice.


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