London acid attack thugs jailed for a total of 15 years

Two teenage thugs who attacked two men with sulphuric acid leaving them with ‘life destroying’ scars have been jailed for a combined total of 15 years. 

Kaha Miah, 20, from Forest Gate, East London and a 16-year-old boy have been jailed to nine and six years respectively. 

Snaresbrook Crown Court heard on March 20, the two victims, Musa Miah and Syed Bashar saw the attackers vandalising a car outside a tower block on Blackhall Way, Poplar. 

Mr Miah, pictured here in hospital, suffered 'life changing injuries' after he was attacked in March.

Musa Miah, pictured following surgery, left, suffered ‘life destroying’ injuries, right, after a pair of teenage thugs squirted sulphuric acid in his face following an attack in March 

The attackers were confronted by a furious owner, Syed Bashar and his pal Musa Miah.

The youth gave Kaha Miah acid in an Appletiser bottle and he then doused the pair in the face, causing the ‘life destroying’ injuries.

Mr Miah and Mr Syed both had to wear facemasks during their recovery which left Musa Miah with a 20 per cent vision loss.

He was married shortly after the attack and had to wear large sunglasses to hide the scarring.

As the pair were locked up for 15 years between them, it emerged that one of the victims even suffered a burned shoulder after the acid ate through his clothes.

The attack outside the Nisa in West India Quay saw both victims flee screaming in the belief their faces were melting.

Kaha Miah was jailed for nine years for his part in the attack on March 20

Kaha Miah was jailed for nine years for his part in the attack on March 20

Sentencing the pair Recorder Hooper said: ‘The two of you were drinking and behaving in a boisterous manner.

‘You are seen to be shouting “we are a gang, yeah”.

‘The victims in this case Musa Miah and Syed Bashar rented a flat on the 11 floor overlooking the area in which you were congregating.

‘Syed was sleep and he was awoken by shouting outside, there was a group of about ten of you behaving in a disorderly manner and appeared to be attacking cars.

‘Syed’s BMW was parked where you were, he saw someone of your group throw a cone onto his vehicle and kick his vehicle, there was some damage caused.

‘He shouted out the window and ran down to confront your group and picked up a baseball bat.

‘His friend Musa Miah was also woken up and went to assist his friend, he armed himself with a small kitchen knife.

‘He noticed the damage to the BMW and the group were walking their way to a shop called Nisa and the group went into the shop.

‘The two victims confronted the group, they were asking who had damaged the vehicle.

‘The minor (defendant who can’t be named) is seen moving behind the group, it was at this stage that someone says something to him and he goes into his man bag that he was carrying and handed to Miah an Appletiser bottle which contained concentrated sulphuric acid of the highest strength.

Mr Miah initially lost 80 per cent of his vision

Mr Miah and his friend Syed Bashar were hit with sulphuric acid

Mr Miah, pictured left and right, and his friend Syed Bashar were attacked on March 20

‘You (Miah) threw the acid into the faces of the two victims and some of it went into the face of one of your own friends and some of it splashed onto yourself.

‘You did this at a time when there was nothing being done to either of you or anyone of your group.

‘You did it out of sheer malice and evil.

‘The effect of the acid landing was within seconds to put them in extreme pain, burning sensations were felt by both.

‘Mr Miah felt like his face was melting.

The boy, now 16 year denied throwing corrosive fluid with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm and possessing an offensive weapon but was convicted on both counts.

Miah admitted both charges.

At Snaresbrook Crown Court Miah was handed nine years imprisonment in a Young Offenders Institution and the teenager was given six years, also in a Young Offenders Institution.

Recorder Hooper said: ‘The two men ran off screaming, they could not get back into the apartment because neither of them had a key.

‘They thought they were being pursued, police officers came upon the victims and noticed their injuries looking as if their faces were melting.

‘That acid was so strong that Syed, who had been wearing a jacket, suffered burning to his shoulder because the acid had melted the garment he was wearing.

‘Police officers administered first aid by the way of splashing the victims with saline water.

‘Both of them underwent treatment and surgery and that treatment is continuing even some 18 months after these events.

‘Their injuries have been quite rightly described as life changing and they will continue to suffer because of this wicked act.

‘Mr Miah said he could not bear to look at himself in the mirror.’

Outside court Nicholas Coates from CPS London added: ‘Both defendants knew that the bottle contained sulphuric acid and the extreme damage it would cause if it was thrown.

‘The victims have been scarred for life with serious physical and psychological injuries.

‘When people use acid as a weapon, the CPS will work with the police to present a strong case in court, to make sure offenders face the consequences of their crime.’

The horrific injuries caused by two thugs who launched a ‘wicked’ and ‘evil’ acid attack has been revealed by Scotland Yard.

Today detectives released a picture of one of the men to warn criminals of the consequences acid attacks can have.

Detective Sergeant Richard Lewsley, investigation officer from Tower Hamlets CID, said: ‘Whilst this sentence provides a degree of justice for the victims and reflects how seriously the police and courts view the possession of noxious substances, I am acutely aware of the devastating impact that attacks of this nature have upon victims.

‘The sentence received reinforces the police view that any incident of this nature, or any possession of these type of substances will be investigated thoroughly.

‘I would urge anyone carrying or considering carrying a noxious substance to reflect upon the sentence received today.

‘These substances can, and unfortunately are, used in the commission of crimes which have a huge and lasting impact on victims.’

The court heard that at one stage Musa Miah had lost 80 per cent of his vision.

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