Burglar jailed for 18 years over acid attack on 69-year-old woman in her home

A burglar who sprayed acid at a 69-year-old woman in a series of "horrifying" attacks has been jailed for 18 years.

Gerard Whelan, 45, of Paddington, west London, attacked 10 people in a three-day spree of armed break-ins and robberies that left some of his victims with life-changing injuries.

He also targeted a 39-year-old mother as she dropped her daughter off at school after setting out to "terrorise" people while armed with a screwdriver and corrosive liquid in December.

​The 69-year-old woman suffered burns to a quarter of her body and had to undergo skin grafts and multiple surgeries after Whelan poured a noxious substance over her at her home in Ilford, north London.

The victim awoke during the night on December 13 to find Whelan looming over her bed with a screwdriver. He told her: "If you don't keep quiet I'll kill you."

The serial burglar took a bracelet and rings from the woman's arms and hands and forced her to sit downstairs as he searched the kitchen cupboards, before spraying her with acid as she tried to escape.

The substance, found to be the same strength as sulphuric acid, left her with permanent scars on her arms, legs, body and face. The woman spent eight weeks in hospital and nine months later has still not regained full movement of her arms or been able to return to work.

In another incident, on December 12, Whelan broke into a 89-year-old man's house armed with a screwdriver and threatened him with a bottle of fluid he said was acid. The victim handed over £190 after Whealan demanded money.

Later that day, Whelan squirted liquid at a driver through his open car window before opening the door and demanding the keys. The victim felt burning to his face but was able to escape on foot with the keys.

Whelan also threw a corrosive liquid at a 38-year-old woman as he tried to snatch her handbag. The substance, contained in an aerosol spray can with the nozzle removed, damaged the outer cells of the victim's eye and temporarily blinded her.

Judge Joanna Greenberg QC said Whelan had shown an "indiscriminate, unpredictable and unprovoked use of aggression".

Sentencing him at Wood Green Crown Court, she told him: "By arming yourself with a screwdriver and corrosive liquid it demonstrates a degree of planning in which you clearly set out to and expected to terrorise your victims.

"What you did must have engendered great fear in all of your victims and, in the case of two who have made victim impact statements, resulted in life-changing physical and/or psychological damage."

She added: "Your offences demonstrate an indiscriminate, unpredictable and unprovoked use of aggression, threats of violence, actual violence and cruelty."

Whelan targeted six people on December 12, one on December 13, and three on Christmas Day.

Also among the victims were a 62-year-old man, who Whelan sprayed with liquid during an attempted robbery. He was protected from injury by his jacket. Whelan also squirted suspected acid at a 39-year-old woman who was dropping her daughter off at school, but missed.

On December 25, he posed as an undercover police officer to speak to a driver in Bounds Green, Haringey, before spraying him with fluid and attempting to steal his car. The driver suffered no lasting damage and Whelan was unable to drive the vehicle away.

He was jailed on Monday after pleading guilty in July to 12 offences including aggravated burglary, causing grievous bodily harm with intent, and robbery.

The judge imposed an extended sentence, meaning Whelan will have to serve at least 12 years before becoming eligible for release.

Detective Sergeant Brett Hagen, of the Metropolitan Police, said: "The length of the sentence today reflects the gravity and callous nature of these acid attacks. Whelan embarked on a series of horrifying offences against a raft of innocent and vulnerable members of the public, many of whom were lucky not to incur serious injury.

“Unfortunately several of the victims did sustain life changing injuries as a result of being sprayed with a noxious substance."

The Met has launched a crackdown on acid attacks amid fears criminals are "moving across" to using corrosive fluids as weapons instead of guns and knives.

Detective Superintendent Mike West, who is leading the force's attempts to tackle the trend, said: “This is a message to anyone who seeks to cause another person harm with a corrosive substance who thinks we don’t have existing laws to tackle such attacks.

"We will put everything we have in to supporting members of our communities who report these crimes, we will track you down and we will make sure you have the same severe sentences, as Gerard Whelan got today, using the CPS and courts."

Lily Saw, the Crown Prosecution Service's reviewing lawyer for London, said: "This was a horrific use of acid during a burglary. Gerard Whelan’s victim was forced to undergo skin grafts and operations. She will be scarred for life.

"But carrying acid or another corrosive substance as a weapon could lead to a prison sentence of up to four years even if it is not used, and throwing acid, even if the target is missed, could lead to a life sentence."