A Suffolk woman left scarred for life after a horrific acid attack plotted by her ex-boyfriend has urged fellow domestic-abuse victims to seek help.

East Anglian Daily Times: Anthony Riley, 26, of Raglan Street in Lowestoft has been found guilty of an acid attack against Adele Bellis. Photo: Suffolk PoliceAnthony Riley, 26, of Raglan Street in Lowestoft has been found guilty of an acid attack against Adele Bellis. Photo: Suffolk Police (Image: Archant)

Adele Bellis lost her right ear and was left partially bald and disfigured for life after Jason Harrison carried out the attack – plotted by her former partner Anthony Riley – near a bus stop in Pakefield in August last year.

The assault has left the 23-year-old with life-long

injuries requiring ongoing specialist treatment.

But Miss Bellis is now fighting back against the barbaric assault, speaking bravely about her ordeal on ITV’s This Morning show in front of millions of viewers.

She told presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby how Riley had subjected her to a six-month campaign of threats and intimidating behaviour.

“I was in hospital and the police came and I was talking about the acid attack and just going through everything,” she recalled.

“I just thought, ‘Oh my god, why did I let this guy do this to me?’ There were just loads of stuff that I had not gone to the police about.

“I had Facebook mails saying, ‘Come meet me’ – I would say no, and then the threats would start and I would end up meeting him.”

She warned people facing a similar situation to tell the police straight away to make the behaviour stop.

“It is hard because there is a lot of fear but as soon as someone starts threatening and controlling you, you need to go to the police and get rid of them because once it has started, it just carries on,” she said.

Riley, 27, of Raglan Street, Lowestoft, and Leon Thompson, 39, of Alma Road, Lowestoft, were found guilty this month of plotting the attack after Harrison, 28, of Princes Road, Lowestoft, and Daniel Marshall, of Rose Court, Lowestoft, had already pleaded guilty.

They are due to be sentenced in the week beginning October 5.

Mr Schofield spoke about the “incredible manipulation” Miss Bellis endured – to which Miss Bellis replied: “I have got no time to even have any feelings for him.”

Speaking about the

incident, she said: “My first reaction was, ‘Oh my god, I have got to go to work with wet hair,’ because it just felt like a liquid and within seconds it was just burning and burning.

“I was saying I haven’t got an ear because I could feel it just going and no-one was saying anything.”