WORTHING MAN JAILED FOR AMMONIA ATTACK AND SEXUAL ASSAULT ON EX-PARTNER
A 26-year-old man named Matthew Johnson, a roofer from Worthing, West Sussex, was sentenced at Brighton Crown Court for attacking his ex-partner with ammonia and sexual assault.Johnson was convicted of using a noxious substance to cause grievous bodily harm, sexual assault, actual bodily harm, and criminal damage for a previous incident involving the same woman in March 2016.
He received an extended sentence of 14 years, with the first 10 years in custody and four years on prison supervision license.
The attack occurred on August 3, 2016, when Johnson met his victim in Worthing, claimed he had a knife and ammonia, and forced her to drive to a remote location near Steyning Bowl.
There, he squirted ammonia into her eyes from a plastic sun tan bottle, then beat her severely and sexually assaulted her.
He then drove her around for hours before dropping her off at Worthing Hospital.
The victim’s eyes still haven't fully recovered, and she now has to wear glasses and cannot drive at night.
Judge Shani Barnes remarked that her own experience seeing photos of the injuries would stay with her for some time, noting that Johnson's relationship with the woman had turned from being ‘the knight in shining armour who became dark and dangerous’.
Johnson later fled Lewes Crown Court on May 9 of the previous year when he was scheduled to stand trial, but was arrested later at an address in Broadwater Road, Worthing, after being spotted by someone who recognized him.
During his arrest, he broke his ankle attempting to evade officers by falling from a flat roof.
