Brothers jailed over 'barbaric' acid attack that left mother blinded in one eye

"Jubilant": The brothers were seen celebrating on a train on the night of the attack
PA
Jamie Bullen21 June 2016
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Two brothers have been jailed after they sprayed a mother of six with drain cleaner in a “barbaric” acid attack that has left her blinded in one eye.

Billy and Geoffrey Midmore inflicted life-changing injuries on Carla Whitlock, 37, in revenge for a botched £2,000 drug deal.

Billy, 22, was jailed for 15 years on Tuesday after being convicted by a jury of grievous bodily harm, Hampshire Police said.

Geoffrey, 27, was jailed for nine years, having admitted the same charge

The brothers attacked Miss Whitlock outside the Turtle Bay restaurant on September 18 after they visited several DIY stores in search of powerful drain cleaner called One Shot.

"Barbaric": Carla Whitlock was left blinded in one eye after she was attacked with powerful drain cleaner
PA

The court heard they were seen on CCTV after the attack “high five-ing” and “fist-bumping” while on a train to a friend’s house.

Chief Inspector Debra Masson, of Hampshire Police, said: “The level of injury caused by such an attack is life-changing, and I know that Carla still faces many challenges, alongside the permanent loss of sight in one of her eyes, due to this barbaric act.

“The evidence shown in court of their behaviour directly after the attack, coupled with their concerted efforts to evade capture, served to expose them as the dangerous criminals they are.

"Although things will never be the same for Carla, we hope that the sentence handed to Geoffrey and Billy Midmore today goes some way to giving her closure and allows her to feel that justice has been delivered."

Describing the attack, Miss Whitlock told the trial: "I felt my face was on fire."

Kerry Maylin, prosecuting, said the attack had been out of revenge after Miss Whitlock had introduced a man called Levi to the Midmore brothers and a deal with him worth £2,000 had gone wrong.

She explained that Miss Whitlock and her partner were drug users and had recently purchased drugs from the brothers, who are of no fixed address but are originally from London with connections to Kent.

Miss Maylin told the jury: "One Shot is all it takes to clear your drain and One Shot is all it takes to cause a serious injury to Carla Whitlock."

She added: "Because that drug deal went wrong, these two brothers decided to enact their revenge by permanently scarring Miss Whitlock."

Miss Maylin said that the brothers were seen on CCTV later that evening as they took a train to stay at a friend's house in Basingstoke.

She said: "They weren't sorry, they were jubilant, they were high five-ing, they were fist-bumping, they were laughing."

Additional reporting by Press Association

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