Acid attacker’s sentence increased following referral by the Solicitor General

A Cardiff man who hurled acid in the face of a doctor has had his sentence increased after it was referred to the Court of Appeal by the Solicitor General, Alex Chalk QC MP.

Milad Rouf, 26, had been involved in a relationship with the victim, a junior doctor. On 20 May 2021, after the relationship ended, Rouf travelled to her home in Brighton and threw sulphuric acid at her face. His attack inflicted life changing injuries which necessitated several operations and resulted in blindness in one eye.

Rouf had carefully planned his attack and wore an intricate disguise in order to conceal his appearance, including padded clothing and makeup that gave him the appearance of a large woman. Escaping the scene, he discarded his disguise and changed his clothes, ensuring that he looked nothing like the attacker.

On 7 October 2021, Rouf was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment, comprising a custodial term of 11 years and a licence extension of 4 years, at Lewes Crown Court.

Following the sentence, the Solicitor General referred Rouf’s sentence to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.

On 15 December the Court of Appeal found his original sentence to be unduly lenient and increased it to 15 years’ imprisonment with a 4-year extended licence.

Speaking after the hearing, the Solicitor General, Alex Chalk QC MP said:

Rouf’s crime was shocking and has severely impacted the future of a young doctor – who lives to heal others – by robbing her of her sight in one eye. I hope the Court’s decision to increase his sentence acts as a warning to those who think of acting in such a cruel and barbaric way.