Victoria's Secret worker 'poured acid over HERSELF to achieve fame and fortune' claims friend accused of horrific attack

A Victoria's Secret lingerie store worker was today forced to deny throwing acid in her own face to gain fame and fortune.

Naomi Oni, 21, was accused of setting up the attack and asking friend Mary Konye, also 21, to 'play the stalker' and throw the corrosive liquid over her.

Miss Oni vehemently denied the claims made by Konye's QC, on the third day of a trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court.

The prosecution claim Konye donned a full niqab before following Oni as she made her way home from Westfield Stratford City in east London where she worked.

Brave: Naomi Oni arrives at Snaresbrook Crown Court today, where her friend Mary Konye is accused of throwing acid in her face in a jealous rage

The victim was left disfigured for life after Konye allegedly doused her with sulphuric acid near her home in Dagenham, Essex.

But the defence it was part of an elaborate plan to become rich and famous.

Today Miss Oni insisted she was not 'obsessed' with plastic surgery or the story of fellow acid attack victim Katy Piper, despite an internet search history on her laptop suggesting otherwise.

In cross examination Sally O'Neill asked her to explain to jurors the story of Ms Piper before asking whether she had become obsessed by the disfigured model.

Miss Oni said: 'I wouldn't say obsessed but it deeply moved me. I read about other attacks but it was not an obsession.'

Ms O'Neill said it was the defence case that she hatched a plan with Konye to pour acid over herself to improve her future prospects.

She said: 'You said if something similar to that of Katy Piper happened to you then that wouldn't be the end of the world because Katy Piper probably had a career boost.'

Miss Oni simply replied: 'No.'

The defence barrister asked her why she had visited a series of plastic surgery websites.
Miss Oni answered: 'I do not think I was very pretty at all.

'I went on the sites for no reason in particular - I had body issues and I was interested in plastic surgery for my body but there was no particular reason.

'I remember searching for my eyelids because I had double eyelids which I didn't like so I planned one day to see if I could do something about it.'

But Ms O'Neill said: 'You formalised a plan in which you would become the victim of a random acid attack in the hope that you would receive the same type of fame and fortune as Katy Piper had.

'You were of the view that Katy Piper still looked lovely after the attack but that you would need something else to support the attack because the police wouldn't believe you and that was where you brought Mary Konye into it.

'Your play was, I suggest, that you would make an allegation that you had been followed and attacked and you wanted Mary Konye to be part of that - you wanted her to follow you and also, initially, wanted her to throw the acid.

'She absolutely refused to do that and you said that you were actually going to throw the acid yourself towards your neck area.'

Miss Oni replied: 'That is very untrue.'

Injuries: Miss Oni described how she was oblivious to her attacker as she walked home from work, but suddenly felt a big splash on her face and ran home screaming 'acid, acid'

Stalked: CCTV images shown to jurors show victim Naomi Oni, right, being followed by a woman in a niqab, alleged to be her friend Mary Konye who then doused her in acid

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Inspiration? The attack on Miss Oni mirrored an acid assault on Katie Piper (pictured), Snaresbrook Crown Court heard, and the defence claim it was pre-planned to make the victim rich

Miss Oni admitted deleting her internet search history on her mobile phone a day before police were due to come and collect it.

She said she felt 'violated' and didn't want the police going through her personal data so she decided to delete the history on her iPhone.

Victim: Naomi Oni before the attack in December 2012, which left her with life-changing injuries

Miss Oni also denied throwing acid over her face in a bid to catapult herself into the 'celebrity' world.

While in hospital at the end of January 2013, Miss Oni's aunt approached the London Evening Standard with an email about her niece's plight.

Ms O'Neill suggested going to the media was the way Miss Oni had decided to launch herself into the celebrity sphere.

She said: 'It is right that your family decided to take matters into their own hands and go to the media?'

Ms Oni replied: 'We went to the press because I was homeless at the time/

Ms O'Neill then said: 'You thought celebrity would come of it, didn't you? Were you offered the services of a celebrity plastic surgeon from America?'

Ms Oni replied: 'So I was told. I do not think being disfigured and being famous is something I aim for in life at all.'

Ms Oni also admitted being paid £2,000 by The Sun newspaper for an interview as well as appearing on ITVs This Morning programme and being paid a sum of £1,000.

She also appeared on a German television programme and paid around £1200 as well as being approached by the BBC for her story.

Media appearances: Naomi Oni is hugged by Philip Schofield during an interview on This Morning, which the court heard made her £1,000

Mary Konye, 21, admits disguising herself in a niqab and stalking Naomi Oni, also 21, on her way home from work, but denies she doused her in sulphuric acid. 

Miss Oni yesterday described the moment she was attacked and told Snaresbrook Crown Court after she saw the damage done she thought: ‘I’m ugly, no one’s going to marry me now.'

Jurors were also shown CCTV of student Konye disguised in a Muslim veil as she followed her friend on the Tube, before she was attacked late at night on an east London street.

Yesterday, she described how, on her way home from work at a Victoria’s Secret lingerie store, she got off at her bus stop in Dagenham, East London, and felt a ‘presence’ before turning to see someone in a niqab.

She then felt a ‘massive splash’ as the acid was thrown at her, scarring her for life and disfiguring her face, dissolving her hair and eyelashes and burning her tongue as she screamed.

Describing how she felt after the attack, she said: ‘Am I a bad person? Why has this happened to me? I work hard ... No one’s going to marry me now.’

Stalking: The prosecution say the woman circled is Mary Konye, who followed her friend on the Tube before dousing her in acid

Miss Oni also revealed that when she told her alleged attacker what had happened, her friend texted back: ‘OMG. Can’t believe it.’ 

She also cried down the phone to Konye, who offered her support, Snaresbrook Crown Court heard.

She said: ‘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”.’

Giving evidence yesterday, Miss Oni described how she felt a ‘presence’ behind her as she walked home.

She said: ‘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’.

Attack: Jurors heard Ms Oni (pictured) was oblivious to the fact she was being closely followed by Konye wearing a full niqab, a hooded black coat, gloves and a grey bag

The court heard that the pair had a ‘rocky relationship’ and had stopped speaking from April to September 2011 after a row over Konye sending text messages to Miss Oni’s boyfriend.

Miss Oni said: ‘I remember asking her why she wanted to do that and I said she’s a monster or something like that. 

'I said you are a monster, you are  an ugly monster. I remember us insulting each other’s looks. 

'She also told me she was so angry she wanted to throw acid at me, but she was advised not  to by her friend.

'Her friend said, “That’s stupid, you could go to jail for that”.’

Asked what she thought at the time about the threat, Miss Oni said: ‘I thought  it was quite bizarre, I felt insulted again.

'But she seemed like she wasn’t serious. I thought she was trying to frighten me a little bit.’

She also said that Katie Piper – the model who had acid thrown in her face by an accomplice of her ex-boyfriend – was her inspiration, adding: ‘I remember being deeply moved by her story and me and Mary discussed it.’

Mary Konye posted a picture of horror film villain Freddy Krueger online and wrote, ‘She better not mess with me or I’ll make her face look like this’ before the attack, the court heard yesterday.

Attack: Naomi Oni (pictured) had sulphuric acid thrown in her face by a jealous friend who then changed  profile picture to Freddie Krueger, a court heard yesterday

The university student then posted a second picture of the disfigured character from the Nightmare On Elm Street films after the attack on Naomi Oni, it is alleged.

That post carried the message ‘Who looks like Wrong Turn now?’ – a reference to a film featuring disfigured characters.

She also allegedly confessed to a friend that she wanted to throw acid in Miss Oni’s face so she would know ‘how it feels’ to be unhappy with her appearance.

The court heard she admired Miss Oni ‘to the point of obsession’ and was insecure about her own looks.

After a row, Konye allegedly quizzed another friend, who was studying chemistry at school, whether there was any acid stored in the lab.

Konye, of Canning Town, East London, denies throwing or casting a corrosive fluid with intent to burn, maim, disfigure, disable or do grievous bodily harm.

She admits following Miss Oni and to being the person wearing the niqab.

The case continues.

 

CCTV of acid attack victim being followed by woman in niquab