A woman is on trial in Bristol for the murder of her ex-boyfriend who died in a euthanasia clinic after she allegedly attacked him with acid.
Berlinah Wallace, 48, is accused of dousing Mark van Dongen, 29, with sulphuric acid two years ago, the New York Post reports.
Van Dongen suffered extensive injuries from the attack, including losing his left eye, his leg, and most of the sight in his right eye. The painful burns covered 25 percent of his body, and he was paralyzed from the neck down.
Fifteen months after the attack, van Dongen applied for euthanasia, which is legal in Belgium, and died on January 2, 2017.
Before his death, he recorded testimony against Wallace, alleging that she poured acid on him after he started dating someone else.
On #BBCNews at Six Berlinah Wallace goes on trial in #Bristol accused of murdering her boyfriend in alleged acid attack. pic.twitter.com/Ua4K01ol3z
— Jon Kay (@jonkay01) November 8, 2017
The couple had been dating for five years and lived together when van Dongen started seeing another woman in August 2015.
According to the account prosecutors gave in court, the day before the attack, on September 22, 2015, van Dongen sent Wallace a message, trying to repair their relationship.
“I love you, I always have. I’m truly sorry for what I’ve done, we need to work on our relationship. You and me are meant to be. I’ve always known that. I will treat you as you deserve to be treated. You are my princess.”
The two had plans to cook dinner later that night when van Dongen returned from work, but he went out with his new girlfriend, Violet Farquharson, instead.
When he returned home, the two reportedly argued and Wallace left to stay at a hotel. She came back later that night, around 3 a.m., poured sulfuric acid in a cup, then allegedly poured the acid over van Dongen as he slept. She allegedly told him that if he wouldn’t be with her, he wouldn’t be with anyone else either.
“If I can’t have you, no one can.”
The man ran out into the streets screaming in pain and was helped by neighbors who had him stand under a shower.
Prosecutor Adam Vaitlingam said the neighbors saw his skin peel away.
“They could see Mark had severe burns — they said it looked as though he had had gray-colored paint poured over him and that the acid had burned through the top layer of skin. He kept saying he couldn’t see and asked if he still had eyelids.”
When police questioned Wallace, she said van Dongen offered her the cup of acid to drink so she could take her pills, but she threw it in his face not knowing what it was. She said she had bought the acid from Amazon to distress some fabric.
[Feature photo: Facebook]
