A man has been charged following an acid attack on an aspiring model and her cousin that left them with life-changing injuries.
John Tomlin, 24, will appear before Thames Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday to face two counts of grievous bodily harm with intent, Scotland Yard has said.
Resham Khan, 21, and Jameel Mukhtar, 37, suffered life-changing injuries after being allegedly being doused in sulphuric acid as they waited in traffic in east London on 21 June.
Khan had been celebrating her 21st birthday with Muhktar at the time.
A manhunt was launched and Tomlin handed himself in at a police station on Sunday. He remains in custody.
Khan and Muhktar suffered horrific face and neck injuries in the incident, which took place at 9.13am on Tollgate Road.
Khan had planned to go to a spa and a restaurant with her mum which was going to be the “first time they spent quality time together since Resham had studied abroad”, according to a Gofundme page set up in the aftermath of the attack.
Khan had not seen in cousin in two years.
In the days after the incident Khan said: “I’m devastated. I keep wondering if my life will ever be the same.”
As of Tuesday morning over over £55,000 had been raised to aide Khan’s recovery.
Her Gofundme, set up by Daniel Mann, reads: “I want to raise money for Resham and her family to provide them with additional support.
“Although she is currently in hospital, once discharged, we understand aftercare for her physically and mentally is crucial.
“It wasn’t right that she or Jameel were attacked in such a vicious way. And although we have faith justice will be served once the criminal is caught, the scars Resham and Jameel will carry will last a life time.”
In April HuffPost UK reported that acid attacks had doubled in the past five years amid fears corrosive substances are becoming “a weapon of choice”.
A leading campaign group said the true extent of the problem may not be fully understood, as acid attacks often go unreported.
“These attacks are likely to be underreported,” Jaf Shah, executive director of Acid Survivors Trust International said.
“There will be cases where attacks have taken place but not reported due to the fear of reprisal, due to gang activity and the fear of further repercussions.”
Those accused of using acid as a weapon are often charged with grievous bodily harm - while the use of knives and guns is considered more serious by the courts.
“These loopholes suggest to me that more and more young men are using this as a weapon of choice,” Shah said.
He appealed for the government to place “serious controls” on the sale of potent substances.
“We have advocated a licensing system, to produce less concentrated forms of acid, and to limit cash sales to aid the tracing of purchases,” Shah said. “There are a number of actions the government can take.”