A jilted boyfriend who threw acid in the face of his Miss Italy finalist ex-girlfriend has had his jail sentence reduced on appeal.

Gessica Notaro, who has worked as a TV presenter as well as a dolphin trainer, was was doused in acid by her former partner, Jorge Edson Tavares, who stalked and threatened her after she broke up with him.

The 30-year-old bodyguard emptied an entire bottle of acid in her face after pouncing on the 29-year-old from behind a parked car following months of threats and harassment.

Jealous Tavares was initially jailed for a combined sentence of 18 years after he was convicted of the attack in January last year.

Italian model Gessica Notaro takes to the catwalk of the Heritage fashion show in Rome this year for the Spring/Summer 2018 collection

Gessica was unable to return to her main job as a sea-lion trainer at a dolfinarium for months after the attack as she could not go in the water

The aspiring singer and model met Tavares three years before the attack when they both worked at a dolphin aquarium in her home city of Rimini on Italy's Adriatic coast

Yesterday the appeal court in Bologna agreed to combine the cases and ruled that Tavares should serve 15 years, five months and 20 days.

According to Italian media, Gessica's lawyer urged the court not to lower the 18-year jail term but said his client was happy with the verdict.

Her lawyer, Alberto Alessi, told La Repubblica newspaper: 'Gessica is satisfied from a human point of view and me from a judicial view.'

The aspiring singer and model met Tavares, who is from Cape Verde, three years before the attack when they both worked at a dolphin aquarium in her home city of Rimini.

Despite what Tavares did to Gessica, the finalist in the 2007 Miss Italy contest, insists he was a model boyfriend and it was only after they broke up he became jealous and started stalking her.

In the month before the attack he threatened to scar her with acid kept at the aquarium to clean filters.

Her fears were so great she even told colleagues she was thinking of putting a helmet in her car to protect her from an attack because she was afraid to walk from the car park to her home.

Gessica was the finalist in the 2007 Miss Italy contest and worked as a TV presenter and dolphin trainer

When Gessica posted a selfie of her scarred face on social media, her case went viral and she appeared on national TV

Gessica was left with life-changing injuries and had several operations to reconstruct her face and now wears a patch over her permanently damaged left eye

Eventually Gessica went to the police, giving them evidence, including WhatsApp messages from Tavares, threatening to 'ruin' her life but they merely ordered him to stay away from her and Travares was given a harassment order.

Even though she moved in with another partner, she says Tavares continued to threaten her so she stayed single, fearing for her safety as well as that of any future boyfriend.

Then as she got out of her car her crept out from behind a parked vehicle and ambushed her, launching the corrosive hydrochloric substance as she came home after a night out with friends.

She said at the time: 'I think he was hidden behind other cars - he must have crawled on the floor and crept behind mine. As soon as I put my head out of the window I saw him come towards me from the back of the car and throwing the acid at me.

After their three-years, Gessica ended the relationship with Travares, who she met at the dolphin aquarium where they both worked

Gessica Notaro appearing on national Italian TV after pictures of her scarred face went viral

'I actually felt the plastic of the bottle on my face. He lifted his arm to make sure he emptied the bottle completely and didn't leave one drop. My face was burning and I instantly started losing my sight.

'I felt desperate because I knew that the more time passed, the more the acid would corrode my face. I had to find the fastest way to get to hospital for help.'

Gessica was left with life-changing injuries and had several operations to reconstruct her face and now wears a patch over her permanently damaged left eye.

For months she was unable to return to her main job as a sea-lion trainer at a dolfinarium as she could not go in the water.

When she posted a selfie of her scarred face on social media, her case went viral and she appeared on national TV.

Since the attack Gessica has spoken out on violence against women and become a TV celebrity, appearing on a national dance show, Dancing with the Stars.

But she said she did not hate Travares for what he did, telling Corriere Della Sera: 'Tavares was the greatest love of my life, despite the betrayals and difficulties in the relationship because of his attitude.

'When I started to look at things with clarity, I gained strength and decided to leave it