Acid attack victim Ellie Chessell recalls ‘living nightmare’ as Portuguese ex-boyfriend is jailed for ordering attack that scarred her for life
Ellie Chessell, 29, spoke out after a judge handed Claudio Gouveia a 12-year sentence on Thursday
A BRIT travel rep has recalled her "living nightmare" as her Portuguese ex-boyfriend was jailed for ordering an acid attack that left her scarred for life.
Ellie Chessell, 29, from Newport, Isle of Wight, branded evil Claudio Gouveia a "coward" as a judge handed down a 12-year sentence on Thursday.
The jobless waiter, 35, was convicted of attempted murder and domestic assault at a court in Portimao, Algarve, after the attack in Alvor, a resort on Portugal's Algarve coast, in May last year.
Ms Chessell, who was not present at the hearing but later released a statement, in which she thanked her family for their support "through some very dark times".
She said: “The last twelve months of my life have been a living nightmare for my family and I after my former partner Claudio Gouveia ordered a cowardly acid attack against me.
“The physical and mental scars of what happened to me in May 2017 will never ever heal – but today’s lengthy prison sentence for Gouveia will help me move forward with my life knowing that justice has finally been served.
“Acid attacks are truly the most evil of crimes and my heart goes out to all fellow victims who have shown such bravery and courage in bringing their perpetrators to justice."
Ms Chessell added: “I hope his lengthy prison sentence will give him time to reflect on the severity of his crimes and help deter other individuals from carrying out such horrific acts."
The court heard how Ms Chessell was lured to a fake Tinder date where a hit-man hired by Gouveia doused her in corrosive liquid.
The “hitman” pal - Edmundo Helder Rodrigues Fonseca - is being tried separately and his stop-start trial will not finish till next month.
Ms Chessell gave evidence on day one of Gouveia's trial earlier this month, and also identified Rodrigues Fonseca in court as the man who doused her in acid.
Prosecutors claimed in an indictment ahead of Gouveia's trial he masterminded the acid attack after Ms Chessell left him for assaulting her and he discovered she had moved to the Algarve.
They said Gouveia and Rodrigues Fonseca scouted out the area before luring her to a spot near the four-star hotel where she was working, by posing as a wealthy businessman called Diogo and setting up a dinner date on a fake Tinder account.
The sickening attack happened after Ms Chessell and her family had approached police in both the UK and Portugal to tell them her ex-boyfriend was threatening to track her down and kill her.
One of the messages she received, dated April 3, 2016, was titled "I Will Find You" and read: "I'm going to find you and I will take your head off. You are a slut and you are going to die."
Gouveia was arrested shortly after the attack but Rodrigues Fonseca was only located by the Portuguese authorities last November after it emerged he was in prison in Uganda following his arrest with six kilos of heroin.
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He was extradited to Portugal to face trial earlier this year.
Madeira-born Gouveia has been banned from having any contact with Ms Chessell for five years.
He was also ordered to pay compensation to Ms Chessell and the three hospitals that have treated her for her injuries.
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