Katie was aged 24 when her life flashed before her eyes in the ambush set up by her ex-boyfriend.

Daniel Lynch is a martial arts enthusiast. Daniel had been following Piper’s media and modelling career. Daniel first met her on Facebook. Piper was initially thrilled with the relationship when the two first met in person in Reading, Berkshire, where he had been working.

Following a meal out, the pair booked into a hotel in Bayswater two weeks into their relationship. Lynch raped and assaulted Piper in the hotel room, threatening to cut her with a razor and hang her, and stabbed her numerous times in the arms.

They drove back to Piper’s Golders Green flat after spending eight hours at the hotel. Piper was treated for her injuries at Royal Free Hospital, but she kept the nature of the incident from physicians and police because she felt embarrassed.

Lynch called Piper several times and apologised profusely. Lynch convinced Piper to go to an internet cafe two days after the initial incident to read an email he had sent to her Facebook account. Lynch provided her information to Stefan Sylvestre, who recognised her on Golders Green Road.

Sylvestre approached Piper, who thought he was going to ask for money, and suddenly splashed sulfuric acid in her face while wearing a sweatshirt to conceal his identity. The attack was captured on CCTV, and Lynch and Sylvestre were both arrested