A man who threw acid in Katie Piper's face and made her feel like she was 'burning in hell' is on the run from police. He faces more time in prison after breaching his license conditions and disappearing from probation. Stefan Sylvestre was 19 when he attacked Katie in 2008, she needed more than 400 operations to treat her burns.

Sylvestre attacked Katie in Golders Green, North London, in 2008, on the orders of her obsessive former boyfriend Daniel Lynch. Lynch was jailed for life with a minimum of 16 years and cannot be considered for release until 2025.

Sylvestre was jailed for life with a minimum of six years, he was ordered to stay away from Katie when he was first paroled for the attack ten years later, in 2018. In 2019 he was recalled to prison over an unrelated incident, receiving parole again in 2020 when prosecution errors came to light, The Mirror reports.

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Sylvestre attacked Katie in Golders Green, North London, with acid in 2008

The thug was in the process of being recalled to prison for breaching his conditions when he went on the run form police. He faces more time in jail when caught by police. A Probation Service spokesman said: “We are urgently working with the police to bring the offender back to prison where he’ll face longer behind bars.”

After the the attack in her victim impact ­statement, Katie said: “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.”

But, since the attack she has rebuilt her life and featured on numerous TV shows, including a documentary in 2009 about the impact of the attack. She also competed on Strictly in 2018. It was during that show she first learned Sylvestre was to be released.

The presenter said at the time: “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.”

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