In a horrific case, a young woman suffered ‘life changing’ injuries after suffering an acid attack on her 21st birthday.
Resham Khan was driving through Beckton, east London when a man ran up to her window and threw acid at both Resham and her cousin, Jameel. The attacker then continued to chase the pair as the car sped off. However Resham quickly lost control and the car crashed into a nearby fence.
Resham Khan recounted what happened next to ITV news: “The pain was excruciating. I was struggling to close the window. My cousin struggled to get us away.
“I saw my clothes burn away in front of me. He put his foot down as we were coming onto a dual carriage way but the pain took over and we crashed.
“We stripped off in the middle of the road, running around screaming and begging for water. We did this for 45 minutes. No ambulance came.”
Onlookers eventually came to their aid and got them to a hospital before police or an ambulance could arrive. They were transferred to the specialist burns unit. Resham required skin grafts on her face and her whole body. Jameel’s burns were so severe he was induced into a coma. After waking, he has stated:
“I’m devastated. I keep wondering if my life will ever be the same. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I’m going to be scarred for life. I’m emotionally wrecked. I’m in continuous pain.” He added it feels “like somebody’s ironing me 24/7.” Both are said to have ‘life changing’ injuries.
As for the attacker, he is thought to be John Tomlin, 24, whom police are currently searching for.
Tomlin has a set of characteristic tear drops tattoos on each cheek, but the public have been warned not to approach him.
Detective Superintendent Neil Matthews said: “I would like to reassure the public that our continued focus remains on finding the person responsible for this horrendous act of violence.
“We will continue to progress these inquiries as quickly as humanly possible and fully understand concerns that they should be brought to justice quickly.”
Daniel Mann, a friend who set up the GoFundMe page for the pair, said Resham was going to attend a spa with her mother for his birthday and was due to start a new job.
“This attack has caused them both to put their lives on hold,” said Mann, “Resham is usually a very confident young woman.
“She was preparing to open her own business over the summer, and had plans to model for Asian bridal, make up and hair artists. But now she feels as though her identity has been stolen from her, on her 21st birthday.”
The GoFundMe has since hit £30,000 in donations. As for Resham, she has been chronicling her hospital recovery via her twitter account, mixing realism with a dash of morbid humour. Her twitter can be found at @ReshKay_
