Gang who poured ammonia down man’s throat in east London jailed

A teenage girl and two men have been jailed after they poured ammonia down a young man’s throat in a revenge attack in east London.

The trio were convicted on Monday after a trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Monday.

Makayla Hajaig, 19, William Deo, 20 and Adam Badejo, 30, and a 30-year-old man had been found guilty of orchestrating the awful attack on two men in Ilford.

The court heard how on June 13 this year, teenager Hajaig lured the victims – two men - to a home by asking them to come and make a music video for her.

Once there, the victims were ambushed, the court was told. The attackers poured corrosive ammonia down the man's throat and splashed it over the woman's face.

It is believed the motive for the cruel attack was because the pair had previously worked with another man on a music video but had failed to pay him.

Officers said the man who had the noxious liquid forced down his throat was put into an induced coma afterward and remained in hospital for three weeks.

He has since made a full recovery.

During the trio’s trial, the court heard Hajaig had set up a fake identity, arranged the meeting and made enquiries about the dangerous high strength ammonia.

Elaine Cousins, of CPS London North, said: "This was a particularly brutal attack involving ammonia being poured down the throat of one victim and splashed in the face of another.

"The CPS proved its case against each person based on the overwhelming evidence that they each played a role in this ambush, knowing corrosive ammonia would be used.

"Their victims were extremely lucky not to have suffered even more serious injuries and we hope today’s verdicts will bring them some sense of justice."

Badejo was sentenced to 15 years in prison and Hajag and Deo were sentenced to 15 years in Young Offenders Institutions.