Berlinah Wallace (left) threw acid over her former partner Mark van Dongen (right) who later died by euthanasia (PA/SWNS)

A fashion student who poured sulphuric acid over her former partner’s face when he left her for another woman has been jailed for at least 12 years.

Berlinah Wallace was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 12 years for throwing a corrosive substance with intent following a four-week trial at Bristol Crown Court, but was acquitted of murder.

Mark Von Dongen later died by euthanasia.

Wallace, 48, purchased a bottle of 98% concentration sulphuric acid and viewed 82 websites about it – including post-mortem images – after her former partner said their relationship was over.

She threw the liquid over the engineer as he slept in bed at her flat in Westbury Park, Bristol, in September 2015, and laughed as she told him: ‘If I can’t have you, no-one else can.’

The 29-year-old was left in a coma for four months, suffered extensive burns to his body, was blinded in one eye, paralysed from the neck down and had to have his lower left leg amputated.

View photos Wallace purchased a bottle of 98% concentration sulphuric acid (SWNS) More

View photos Wallace threw acid over Mark von Dongen while he was in bed (SWNS) More

Mark died by euthanasia January 3, 2017 after his application was approved by three consultants who decided he met the criteria of ‘unbearable physical and psychological suffering’.

Jailing Wallace, Mrs Justice Nicola Davies told her: ‘Your intention was to burn, disfigure and disable Mark van Dongen so that he would not be attractive to any other woman.

‘It was an act of pure evil.’

She went on: ‘You chose your moment for the attack.

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‘It occurred when Mark van Dongen, wearing only boxer shorts, was asleep in the bed which you had shared in your flat.

‘Vulnerable, almost naked, he awoke but had no real opportunity to avoid the focus of your acid attack, namely his face and then his body.

‘Immediately before you threw the acid you said to Mark, ‘If I can’t have you, no-one can’.’

In the days before the attack, Mark’s new girlfriend, Violet Farquharson, had received a series of silent phone calls in the middle of the night.

View photos The judge described Wallace’s attack as ‘an act of pure evil’ (SWNS) More

View photos Wallace’s partner later died by euthanasia (SWNS) More

View photos Wallace threw the liquid over the engineer as he slept in bed at her flat in Westbury Park (SWNS) More

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