Katie Piper’s acid attacker on the run as police launch ‘urgent’ manhunt
Ms Piper suffered horrific injuries in the acid attack that left her permanently scarred
The man who threw acid over television presenter Katie Piper is on the run after police launched a manhunt for the offender to be recalled to jail.
Stefan Sylvestre, from Shepherd’s Bush, west London, was given a life sentence in 2009 for the attack and was told he must serve a minimum of six years before he would be eligible for parole.
Sylvestre was paroled in 2020, 11 years after the horrifying assault, but could now face more jail time after he went missing while on licence.
The former model was left with extensive injuries after sulphuric acid was thrown in her face when she was 24 years old.
Sylvestre attacked Ms Piper in Golders Green, north London, in 2008 on the order of her former boyfriend Daniel Lynch. At the time of the attack, Sylvestre was 19 and a year later he was sentenced to life with a minimum of six years behind bars.
Ms Piper and Lynch had dated briefly before steroid-fuelled martial arts fan Lynch, who had a previous conviction for pouring boiling water over a man, became obsessively jealous.
Lynch was jailed for life with a minimum of 16 years and won’t be considered for release until 2025. Sylvestre first became eligible for parole in 2015 but his application was denied after he was deemed unfit for release.
In court, Lynch and Sylvestre were told by Judge Nicholas Browne KC they were “the face of pure evil”.
Another application was made in 2018 which was successful and he was freed on the condition he stayed away from Ms Piper.
Ms Piper’s injuries required 400 operations to treat her burns. She said in her victim impact statement: “When the acid was thrown at me, it felt like I was burning in hell. It was an indescribable, unique, torturous pain.
“I have lost my future, my career, my spirit, my body, my looks, my dignity… the list goes on.
“All I am left with is an empty shell. A part of me has died that will never come back. This is worse than death.”
A Probation Service spokeswoman said on Sunday: “We are urgently working with the police to bring the offender back to prison where he’ll face longer behind bars.”
Ms Piper was a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing in 2018 when she learned Sylvestre was to be released.
At the time, the presenter said: “This is a really difficult time for me. I am trying to come to terms with the decision and this is something I need to deal with.
“Over the past two weeks Strictly has already given me such a welcome and positive distraction from my past.
“Whilst there is never a good time to hear this news, I am glad I have this new journey to concentrate on.”
In the years following the horrific attack, Ms Piper has managed to rebuild her life and has been awarded an OBE for her campaigning work helping burns victims.