Katie Piper’s acid attacker now – prison recall, manhunt and life on the run

Katie Piper‘s life changed forever when she became a victim of a horrendous acid attack.

The Loose Women star, now 40, was just 24 in March 2008 when her evil ex, Daniel Lynch, plotted the vicious ambush that left her face severely burned and in need of 400 operations. She has come a long way since her trauma and has bravely rebuilt her life – now a campaigner for other victims, she has been awarded an OBE for charity and burns services.

But her attacker Stefan Sylvestre, who was ordered to carry out the assault by obsessive Lynch, is still on the run after fleeing the country following his prison release. Rapist Lynch, 47, was jailed for life in 2009 for organising the act of “pure, calculated and deliberate evil”. He was sentenced to life at London’s Wood Green Crown Court after being found guilty of rape and GBH, and admitting ABH.

Sylvestre, who was 19 when he threw the corrosive liquid over her, was given a life sentence with a minimum of six years after he admitted GBH. He was released in 2018. The attacker became eligible for parole in 2015 but his application was blocked after he was deemed unfit for release. A further application in 2018 was successful and he was freed, but ordered to stay away from Katie.

But in 2019 he was recalled to prison over an unrelated incident. Sylvestre got parole again in 2020 and was released after prosecution errors came to light. By then he had married mum-of-one Danielle Burke while in jail.

In 2022, police then launched a global manhunt for the attacker after he fled the country – and he has still not been found. Sylvestre was in the process of being recalled to prison for breaching his conditions when he went on the run from police.

The thug, then 34, is thought to have left the UK on August 2. The Mirror revealed how he faces more time in jail after going awol while on licence. Officers from the Met Specialist Crime Command are leading the investigation, alongside partner agencies thought to include the National Crime Agency.

The Met said at the time: “Police were notified on Friday, 23 September, that Stefan Sylvestre, 34, had been recalled to prison. His last known address was in north London. Enquiries undertaken so far indicate that Sylvestre left the UK on Tuesday, 2 August. Officers from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command continue to work with partner agencies to locate and arrest him. Sylvestre should not be approached.

“Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call police on 999 quoting CAD6239/23Sep. To give information anonymously contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

When the Mirror approached the Met on Friday, April 26, 2024, they confirmed they are continuing enquiries. A spokesperson added: “Sylvestre is wanted for recall to prison and enquiries indicate he left the UK on Tuesday, 2 August 2022. He should not be approached.” Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the police using the same contact details and reference number previously quoted.

In her victim impact ­statement at the time of the dreadful attack, Katie expressed the torment she was in. She said: “When the acid was thrown at me, it felt like I was burning in hell. It was an indescribable, unique, torturous pain. I have lost my future, my career, my spirit, my body, my looks, my dignity…the list goes on. All I am left with is an empty shell. A part of me has died that will never come back. This is worse than death.”

Meanwhile, The Mirror reported last September that Lynch is making a bid for his freedom. As he approaches the end of his minimum 16-year term, the rapist will be due to be considered for release for the first time. Lynch and Katie had begun a relationship in February 2008.

Lynch, from Shepherd’s Bush, West London, soon became possessive and controlling and raped Katie, who waived her right to anonymity, in a London hotel room. After she ended their relationship, Lynch bombarded her with calls.

He was on the phone to her as she walked down a street in Golders Green, North London, on March 31, when Sylvestre threw sulphuric acid in her face. The Parole Board said in September: “Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released.”

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