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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/nov/10/man-told-police-of-blackmail-weeks-before-acid-attack-court-told
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| Victim told police of harassment weeks before acid attack, court told | Victim told police of harassment weeks before acid attack, court told |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| A man called police to report being harassed and blackmailed by his jealous ex-girlfriend three weeks before she threw acid over his face and body, her trial for murder heard. | A man called police to report being harassed and blackmailed by his jealous ex-girlfriend three weeks before she threw acid over his face and body, her trial for murder heard. |
| Mark van Dongen, 29, an engineer, was left paralysed from the neck down, “grotesquely scarred” and all but blinded following the alleged attack by Berlinah Wallace, 48. He suffered 15 months of terrible pain before choosing to end his life in a Belgian euthanasia clinic. | Mark van Dongen, 29, an engineer, was left paralysed from the neck down, “grotesquely scarred” and all but blinded following the alleged attack by Berlinah Wallace, 48. He suffered 15 months of terrible pain before choosing to end his life in a Belgian euthanasia clinic. |
| The jury at Bristol crown court was told that Wallace attacked Van Dongen in the early hours of 23 September 2015. She is said to have been jealous that Van Dongen had begun a relationship with another woman and told him during the assault: “If I can’t have you, no one else can.” | The jury at Bristol crown court was told that Wallace attacked Van Dongen in the early hours of 23 September 2015. She is said to have been jealous that Van Dongen had begun a relationship with another woman and told him during the assault: “If I can’t have you, no one else can.” |
| On Friday, jurors listened to a 999 call Dutch-born Van Dongen made to Avon and Somerset police on 2 September 2015 complaining of harassment and blackmail at the hands of his former girlfriend and also alleging she was behind silent calls to his new partner. | On Friday, jurors listened to a 999 call Dutch-born Van Dongen made to Avon and Somerset police on 2 September 2015 complaining of harassment and blackmail at the hands of his former girlfriend and also alleging she was behind silent calls to his new partner. |
| In the first call, which lasted 16 minutes, Van Dongen told the operator: “I split up with my girlfriend and she keeps calling me ... Now she’s like blackmailing me.” | In the first call, which lasted 16 minutes, Van Dongen told the operator: “I split up with my girlfriend and she keeps calling me ... Now she’s like blackmailing me.” |
| Asked to explain the blackmail threat, Van Dongen replied: “She first kept on calling and crying and like hyperventilating and everything. When I left her to start off with, she tried to kill herself, she took a handful of pills and she said she would stab herself if I was going to leave her. | Asked to explain the blackmail threat, Van Dongen replied: “She first kept on calling and crying and like hyperventilating and everything. When I left her to start off with, she tried to kill herself, she took a handful of pills and she said she would stab herself if I was going to leave her. |
| “Now she constantly keeps on calling me and now she just called me and she says: ‘I’m going to call the police, say that you downloaded child porn ... she keeps screaming.’” | “Now she constantly keeps on calling me and now she just called me and she says: ‘I’m going to call the police, say that you downloaded child porn ... she keeps screaming.’” |
| He said his new girlfriend, Violet Farquharson, had been receiving silent phone calls that he suspected were from Wallace. “Something needs to be done about it,” he said. | He said his new girlfriend, Violet Farquharson, had been receiving silent phone calls that he suspected were from Wallace. “Something needs to be done about it,” he said. |
| The next day, Van Dongen attended Trinity Road police station in Bristol and spoke to PC Katie Bettel. The officer told jurors Van Dongen told her he had been receiving unwanted phone calls and text messages from Wallace and alleged she had been making silent calls to Farquharson. | The next day, Van Dongen attended Trinity Road police station in Bristol and spoke to PC Katie Bettel. The officer told jurors Van Dongen told her he had been receiving unwanted phone calls and text messages from Wallace and alleged she had been making silent calls to Farquharson. |
| “I told him that I would make it very clear to Miss Wallace that it was unwanted contact and that if she continued to make contact that would be considered harassment,” she said. | “I told him that I would make it very clear to Miss Wallace that it was unwanted contact and that if she continued to make contact that would be considered harassment,” she said. |
| Colin Evans, a work colleague of Van Dongen, said he had showed him scratches on his back that he alleged Wallace had caused. | Colin Evans, a work colleague of Van Dongen, said he had showed him scratches on his back that he alleged Wallace had caused. |
| “He used to say that she was abusive and he pulled up his top and showed me the various scratch marks on his back,” he said. Evans said Van Dongen told him, ‘She’s crazy”, and added: “I remember him saying that she threatened to kill him if he ever left her.” | “He used to say that she was abusive and he pulled up his top and showed me the various scratch marks on his back,” he said. Evans said Van Dongen told him, ‘She’s crazy”, and added: “I remember him saying that she threatened to kill him if he ever left her.” |
| Wallace, of Westbury Park, Bristol, denies charges of murder and applying a corrosive fluid. She claims she thought she was throwing a glass of water at Van Dongen. | Wallace, of Westbury Park, Bristol, denies charges of murder and applying a corrosive fluid. She claims she thought she was throwing a glass of water at Van Dongen. |
| The trial continues. | The trial continues. |
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