An acid attack victim has branded her ex-boyfriend a ‘coward’ and said the last year has been a ‘living nightmare’.
Travel rep Ellie Chessell, from Newport, Isle of Wight, was scarred for life when a hitman hired by her ex threw acid on her in Portugal’s Alvor resort in May 2017.
The 29-year-old said the 12-year prison sentence handed down to Claudio Gouveia, 35, would help her move on with her life.
Jailed: Claudio Gouveia, 35, has been found guilty of orchestrating the horrific 2017 acid attack which left his British ex-girlfriend Ellie Chessell scarred for life
Gouveia was convicted of attempted murder at a court in Portimao, Algarve, on Wednesday.
He was also found guilty of domestic assault of Ms Chessell, who did not attend today’s hearing, in the months leading up to the acid attack on May 6, 2017.
Ms Chessell said in a statement: ‘The last twelve months of my life have been a living nightmare for my family and I after my former partner Claudio Gouveia ordered a cowardly acid attack against me.
‘The physical and mental scars of what happened to me in May 2017 will never ever heal – but today’s lengthy prison sentence for Gouveia will help me move forward with my life knowing that justice has finally been served.
‘Acid attacks are truly the most evil of crimes and my heart goes out to all fellow victims who have shown such bravery and courage in bringing their perpetrators to justice.’
She added: ‘I hope his lengthy prison sentence will give him time to reflect on the severity of his crimes and help deter other individuals from carrying out such horrific acts.’
Ms Chessell also thanked her family for their support, saying they had been there for her ‘through some very dark times’.
Gouveia was sentenced to ten years and six months for attempted murder and three years for domestic violence, but was told his total sentence would be 12 years.
The ‘hitman’ pal who allegedly attacked Ms Chessell on Gouveia’s orders – Edmundo Helder Rodrigues Fonseca – is being tried separately and his stop-start trial will not finish until next month.
Madeira-born Gouveia, who had protested his innocence from day one, was not present in court.
He has also been banned from having any contact with Ms Chessell for five years.
He was also ordered to pay £4,377 in compensation to Ms Chessell and the three hospitals that have treated her for her injuries.
The prison sentence is far less than the 25 years state prosecutors were seeking.
Survivor: Ms Chessell, pictured during the trial last month, was attacked near the Algarve hotel where she worked, in May, 2017
Ms Chessell gave evidence on day one of Gouveia’s trial earlier this month, and also identified Rodrigues Fonseca in court as the man who doused her in acid.
Prosecutors claimed in an indictment ahead of Gouveia’s trial he masterminded the acid attack after Ms Chessell walked out on him for assaulting her.
He discovered she had moved to the Algarve for a new job with travel firm TUI after leaving their Madeira home.
They said Gouveia and Rodrigues Fonseca scouted out the area before luring her to a spot near the four-star hotel where she was working, by posing as a wealthy businessman called Diogo and setting up a dinner date on a fake Tinder account.
The sickening attack happened after Ms Chessell and her family had approached police in both the UK and Portugal to tell them her ex-boyfriend was threatening to track her down and kill her.
Monster: Goveia, from Madeira, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for attempted murder and domestic violence
One of the messages she received, dated April 3, 2016, was titled: ‘I Will Find You’ and read: ‘I’m going to find you and I will take your head off. You are a slut and you are going to die.’
Gouveia was arrested shortly after the attack but Rodrigues Fonseca was only located by the Portuguese authorities last November after it emerged he was in prison in Uganda in east Africa following his arrest with six kilos of heroin.
He was extradited to Portugal to face trial earlier this year.
Prosecutor Carla Neto said in a closing speech on the last day of Gouveia’s attempted murder trial that there could be no doubt about his guilt, and demanded a maximum 25-year sentence under Portuguese law.
‘He plotted a cruel plan I say any ordinary person would find macabre and repulsive,’ she told the three women judges tasked with deciding the defendant’s fate.
‘His actions resulted in very serious injuries for the victim on the whole of her body and it didn’t have worse repercussions only because she received quick help.
‘If it hadn’t been for that, he could have taken her life.’
But Gouveia claimed Fonseca had acted alone and not on his orders.
Ms Chessell is a former TUI travel rep who worked all over the Mediterranean
Lead judge Cristina Mira branded the claims ‘fantasy’ in the judges’ sentencing document, adding: ‘They are not minimally credible.’
The three women who decided Gouveia’s fate ruled of the evidence given by tearful Ellie in police statements and at the start of her ex’s trial: ‘Despite being visibly upset and nervous, Eleanor Ruth Chessell gave a serious and objective statement.’
They added of the attack: ‘It has been proven in the present case that the accused, together with another individual, laid a plan to pour a corrosive liquid over the victim and cause her death.
Hitman: Edmundo Helder Rodrigues Fonseca is accused of being the person who threw the acid over Ms Chessell
‘In the execution of that plan the other individual, on May 6 2017, poured a liquid composed of sulphuric acid and/or chloridic acid over the victim, causing her burns across her entire body which did not pose a real danger to her life only because she was quickly assisted.
‘The result of this attack however was that she was left with permanent and serious disfiguring scars.
‘We conclude therefore with no hesitation that the conduct of the accused represents a crime of attempted murder as a co-author.’
They added that Gouveia scouting out the area for the attack showed a ‘strong and solid pre-determination’ to kill her.
The judges added: ‘The crime happened two months after the end of his relationship with the victim.
‘She had moved from Madeira to the Algarve and during that time interval, the accused continued to send numerous electronic messages to the victim to try to win her back before subsequently sending her messages in which he told her she would burn in hell.’
Gouveia was arrested shortly after the attack, but Fonseca was only located by the Portuguese authorities last November after it emerged he was in prison in Uganda in east Africa following his arrest with six kilos of heroin.
He was extradited to Portugal to face trial earlier this year.