Daniel Lynch, the man behind the horrific acid attack on TV presenter Katie Piper, is up for parole. Lynch, a martial arts expert and Piper’s ex-boyfriend, was convicted five years ago for orchestrating the attack, which left Piper blind in one eye.
In March 2008, Lynch arranged for Stefan Sylvestre to throw corrosive liquid at Piper, a former model. Lynch was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 16 years in May 2009 at London’s Wood Green Crown Court for the rape of Piper and for directing Sylvestre to carry out the acid attack.
Sylvestre received a life sentence with a minimum term of six years in 2009 and was released on licence in 2018. However, he was recalled to prison in 2022 for breaching his licence conditions after it was believed he had left the UK.
A spokeswoman for the Parole Board confirmed on Sunday that a private hearing for Lynch will be held on July 23 and 24. Parole hearings are granted when there is a “realistic prospect” of release, consideration for a move to an open prison, fairness, or a need for more information from the convicted individual. Victims are allowed to submit personal statements, and the decision can be challenged.
Lynch, who had a previous conviction for pouring boiling water over a man, became obsessively jealous after briefly dating Piper. Judge Nicholas Browne QC described Lynch and Sylvestre’s actions as a “planned and then executed an act of pure, calculated and deliberate evil.”
Piper, now 40, waived her right to anonymity as a rape victim following the trial. Her recovery journey was documented in a Channel 4 feature. She founded the Katie Piper Foundation to support burns victims and has undergone over 250 operations in the past decade.
Piper currently hosts the podcast “Katie Piper’s Extraordinary People,” serves as a panellist on “Loose Women,” and presents “Katie Piper’s Breakfast Show” on ITV.