'I'm reminded what I look like every time I look in the mirror or see the reaction in people's faces': Acid attack victim speaks of her agony as the jealous childhood friend who attacked her is jailed for 12 years

A woman who was scarred for life in an acid attack has spoken of her agony today after her student attacker was jailed for 12 years.
Victoria's Secret worker Naomi Oni, 22, suffered serious burns to her face and chest after her friend, Mary Konye, 22, disguised herself in a niqab to carry out the attack in Dagenham, east london, on December 30 2012.
Miss Oni said today: 'I'm reminded what I look like every day I look in the mirror or see the reaction on people's faces. The whole traumatic experience has changed my life. I initially felt angry and hurt. All sorts of things kept going through my mind.

'I sometimes cry when I'm alone. At times I felt suicidal and thought about ending it all.'

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Mary Konye (left) was sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court today as a result of the attack last year that left Naomi Oni with horrific burns

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Solicitor Mitesh Patel today reads a statement on behalf of the victim outside the court alongside Marriam Oni, Naomi's mother

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Marriam Oni covers her eyes following the sentence of Konye who threw acid in her daughter's face

Konye, who hurled acid into the face of her friend because she was jealous of her looks, was sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court in London today.
The pair fell out when Miss Oni found out Konye had been texting her boyfriend and described her as looking like a hideous cannibal character from the film 'Wrong Turn.'
Judge David Radford, who sentenced Konye to 12 years today, said the consequences of her 'callous', 'deliberate' and 'wicked' act have been devastating to Miss Oni.

He added that it was a 'premeditated and callous' plan to 'burn and disfigure' the victim. Konye was convicted in January.
In a statement read to the court by prosecutor Gareth Patterson, Miss Oni said was now 'paranoid and scared' about being outdoors alone.
'All this changed that day I was struck with acid and my life was turned upside down,' she said.
It was now a 'battle to get by each day' after being permanently disfigured, she added.
Miss Oni said she had suffered permanent scars to her leg, chest, stomach and arms and was almost blinded in one eye.'
She faces further reconstructive surgery and must wear a silicon face mask which makes it difficult to breathe, the court heard.

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CCTV footage: Konye followed Ms Oni at Barking Station before unleashing the attack last December

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Before the attack: In a statement read to the court, Ms Oni described how she sometimes felt suicidal after the horrifying incident

He added that it was a 'premeditated and callous' plan to 'burn and disfigure' the victim.
'This careful, premeditated criminality was planned against a person who reasonably believed you were a true friend,' Judge Radford said.
The judge said Konye had been 'deliberately untruthful' during the trial after she admitted throwing the acid following her conviction.
A letter of remorse she had since written was 'utterly belated', he added.
Mr Radford said Ms Oni's life had been 'ruined' along with her trust in friends.
'Her friendship had been so wilfully betrayed by you,' he said.
Miss Oni said in a statement through her solicitor Mitesh Patel: 'My attacker's sentence will end but I will have to live with my injuries and disabilities for the rest of my life.
'My family and I have had to put up with false allegation that have done this to myself.
'Its been truly devastating and has even resulted in people distancing themselves from me in my hour of need.
'Almost every aspect of my life has had adverse effects. It is important that I thank my mother and my family and all the people who have written me kind letters of support.'
DCI Dave Whellam said: 'The court recognised the extent of injury and the trauma it has caused the victim and we are very pleased.'
Konye, who was convicted in January, looked straight ahead in the dock and showed no reaction when she was sentenced.

'My attacker's sentence will end but I will have to live with my injuries and disabilities for the rest of my life'
Naomi Oni, victim

She originally claimed Miss Oni had burnt herself with acid because she wanted the 'fame and fortune' of Katie Piper, a model who was attacked in a similar way by a former boyfriend.
Miss Oni said business student Konye was 'obsessed' with her, attempting to steal her boyfriend before deciding to 'destroy her'.
Shortly before Miss Oni reached her home in Dagenham, Konye doused her with concentrated sulphuric acid, leaving her scarred for life.
CCTV footage obtained by police after the attack showed Konye in a niqab following her as she left at the lingerie shop at around 11.30pm on the night of the incident.
Miss Oni suffered serious burns to her face and chest, lost her hair and eyelashes, and required skin graft surgery to cover the burns.
Giving evidence Miss Oni described how, on her way home, she got off at her bus stop in Dagenham and felt a ‘presence’ before turning to see someone in a niqab.

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Scars: The injuries inflicted on by Ms Oni she says have 'turned her life upside down'

She then felt a ‘massive splash’ as the acid was thrown at her, disfiguring her face, dissolving her hair and eyelashes and burning her tongue as she screamed.
Konye's lawyer Sally O'Neill QC told the court Konye has since admitted throwing the acid following her conviction but maintained she did not intend to cause injury to Ms Oni's face.
'The reason for this incident will always be shrouded in some doubt and mystery," Ms O'Neill said.
She added that Konye was an 'immature 22-year-old' with a possible personality disorder and had been threatened by other inmates while in prison awaiting sentencing.

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Devastated: Miss Oni said she 'broke down' after removing her bandages following surgery

During the trial, Miss Oni said in court: ‘I just had my bandages removed and it was the first time I saw my  face after surgery and I broke down and I had spoken to Mary that night  and I was crying on the phone to her and she was on the phone to me telling me, “don’t worry, you’ll be OK”.’

She added: ‘I was still on the phone to my boyfriend and I felt a presence. I turned to my left and I saw someone and a black abaya [cloak] or a black niqab.
‘I remember it facing me, staring. A presence directly looking at me. All I could see was eyes.’
She then said she felt the splash as the acid was thrown in her face and ran home shouting ‘acid, acid’.
She said: ‘I immediately felt that someone was trying to kill me and so my instinct was to run as fast as I could to get home.
‘I felt, it wasn’t burning, it was a dissolving type of sensation. It was on my face and I remember,  as I had my mouth open screaming, it burnt my tongue.’
Mary Konye was born on 20 February 1992 in Newham, east London. Her father died when she was just two, leaving her mother a single parent looking after her only child.
She gained eight GCSEs before studying for A-Levels in Sociology, Media, Business and Psychology at St Angela's Ursuline School, a Catholic secondary school for girls in Forest Gate.
She spent another year at Southgate College doing A-Level retakes before winning a place at the University of Hertfordshire, studied accounting and finance in business.

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CCTV image of Konye (in the foreground) trailing Miss Oni. She hurled the acid in her face shortly before arriving at her home in Dagenham

On the night of the attack, Miss Oni said she felt a 'massive splash' as the acid was thrown at her, disfiguring her face, dissolving her hair and eyelashes and burning her tongue as she screamed

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