Joanne Rand Acid Attack Killer Gets 17 Years

Following the June 2017 acid attack that led to Joanne Rand’s death, her killer was sentenced Tuesday to 17 years in prison for manslaughter.

Xeneral Webster, 19, of London admitted he accidentally splashed Rand, 47, with sulfuric acid during an argument with another man while Rand was sitting on a nearby bench after visiting her daughter’s grave, the BBC reported. Webster had intended to splash the acid on the man he was arguing with, but the man deflected the bottle and it splashed Rand instead.

Rand was treated at the hospital for the acid burns but died 11 days after the attack when she developed septicemia that caused multiple organs to fail, the BBC reported. The intended victim who deflected the acid away from himself was found to have acted reasonably in doing so and was not charged.

Judge Angela Morris addressed Webster in harsh terms for his actions, which she said were irresponsible and costly for Rand and her family. She felt Webster should have known it was dangerous to carry acid in public since he had been the victim of an acid attack himself only two months earlier, The Guardian reported.

Rand worked as a caregiver at a home for dementia patients. Her family was in court Tuesday to confront Webster and tell the court they were heartbroken by her death.

Daughter Katie Pitwell said to Webster, “You are the one who took her away; we had so many plans for the future,” The Guardian reported.

The case is thought to be the first death from an acid attack in the U.K., the BBC reported.

• Bernhard Guenther Acid Attack Under Investigation in Germany
• London Acid Attacks: 5 Injured as Police Arrest 2 Suspects