Club acid attack defendant sentenced to 25 years in jail

Arthur Collins, the ex-boyfriend of reality TV star Ferne McCann, has been sentenced to 25-years in jail for throwing acid across a packed dance floor at Mangle E8 in Dalston on 17th April 2017.

The unprovoked attack injured 22 people, with some victims suffering third-degree burns from the acid attack.

Collins, 25, from Hertforshire, plead guilty to all charges at an earlier hearing, claiming that he thought the substance was a date rape drug and not acid.

The judge clearly didn’t believe Collins’ version of events and sentenced him to 20-years in prison, with a further five years on license.

Judge Noel Lucas QC described the crime as a "despicable act" and stated that Collins “knew precisely what strong acid would do to human skin.”

"Having thrown the acid over the club you slunk away and hid in the rear and pretended to be nothing to do with the mayhem you had caused.

"It was deliberate and calculated and you were intent on causing really serious harm to your victims," he said.

The judge labelled him as an "accomplished liar" and someone who has "not the slightest remorse for his actions."

The judge also criticised the security at Mangle E8, stating that the venue’s security was “poor” and that if they had tighter security the attack could have been prevented.