A MAN suffered serious chemical burns to his face and body in an unprovoked
acid attack launched by a “complete stranger”, a court has heard.
Darren Pidgeon spent 24 days in hospital following the attack, requiring skin
grafts to repair third degree burns caused by “extreme” acid.
Ashley Russell, 30, of Sunnedon, Basildon, and Christina Storey, 32, of Brook
Court, Rayleigh, each deny throwing a corrosive fluid at Mr Pidgeon.
Storey also denies aiding and abetting an offender.
Opening the trial at Basildon Crown Court, prosecutor Greg Unwin said Mr
Pidgeon was attacked at around 11.20pm on June 3 2014.
He had stopped at traffic lights while driving south towards Thundersley,
Essex, when he noticed a red Rover, driven by Storey, pulling alongside him.
As he pulled off the Rover drove in front of him as the victim continued
south, although it was not a “near miss”, Mr Unwin said.
Mr Pidgeon, 29, then turned into Kingsmere, a cul-de-sac, to turn around and
as he went to reverse saw a car pull in behind him.
“He was essentially trapped, blocked in by this other vehicle. The
prosecution say this is the same car,” Mr Unwin said.
“A passenger of the red car then got out of the passenger door and ran
round to Mr Pidgeon’s door, where he had the window wound down, and he said
words to the effect of ‘have you got a problem?’.”
It is alleged Russell then sprayed the victim in the face and also punched him
in the head.
Russell denies being the passenger who threw the acid.
Residents heard the shouting and revs of a car and Mr Pidgeon knocked on a
door, prompting two calls to police at around 11.22pm and 11.24pm.
“Darren Pidgeon was in excruciating agony, his eye was watering, some of
the substance had gone into one ear. He was confused and disorientated,”
Mr Unwin added.
Mr Unwin continued: “Mr Pidgeon has no idea why he was attacked.
“As the liquid started to burn into his skin in his face, his arm and the
side of his body, he screamed in agony.
“He was becoming agitated, saying he had been maced or pepper sprayed.”
Residents gave him water to wash his eyes before ambulance crews and police
arrived moments later.
Mr Pidgeon was taken to a specialist burns unit in Broomfield Hospital, where
tests showed the acid had a pH level of one, indicating “extreme acid”.
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The jury was told the victim suffered third degree burns across five per cent
of his body.
The prosecution said Storey’s Rover was caught on automated number plate
recognition cameras on the nearby A127 shortly after 11.30pm, and the pair
were also seen on CCTV at a BP service station a short time later.
Russell and Storey do not dispute being pictured in the CCTV at the petrol
station, Mr Unwin told the jury.
The trial continues.