The man who threw acid over television presenter Katie Piper has been released from prison.
Stefan Sylvestre, now 30, from Shepherd’s Bush, west London, was given a life sentence in 2009 for the attack and was told he must serve a minimum of six years before he would be eligible for parole.
He was reportedly released from a jail in Suffolk on Wednesday.
Piper, who is starring in the current series of Strictly Come Dancing, suffered horrific injuries in the acid attack that left her permanently scarred.
She was left fighting for her life after obsessive ex-boyfriend Daniel Lynch arranged for Sylvestre to throw the corrosive liquid in March 2008.
It was revealed in August that the Parole Board had directed the release of Sylvestre after the case was considered at an oral hearing.
Piper later said she was trying to come to terms with the decision, and that she was going through “a really difficult time”.
— Katie Piper (@KatiePiper_) August 24, 2018
The Parole Board’s decision summary said Piper had read statements in person to the panel.
“The panel took full account of the content of these statements and the supporting documentation,” the summary said.
The document added: “The panel considered that there were a number of things that reduced Mr Sylvestre’s risk of causing serious harm in the future.
“Mr Sylvestre is now 30 years of age and was just 19 when he committed the index offence.
“He was drawn into a criminal lifestyle in his teens and was involved with drugs.
“During his time in custody, Mr Sylvestre has actively avoided anti-social behaviour within the prison and has avoided violence, despite being under threat.
“He has behaved well to distance himself from such influences.
“He has repaired his relationship with his family, has gained employment-related skills and improved his education.
“He has not been involved in drugs in prison and has completed relevant offence-focused work to challenge and change his attitude and thinking.”
The summary also said Sylvestre had “displayed empathy for the victim and expressed remorse and shame for his actions”.
He became eligible to be considered for release on April 8 2014, and had a previous review by the Parole Board in 2015.
Offenders who are released from jail are subject to strict licence conditions, which can include exclusion zones. Failure to comply can result in an immediate recall to prison.
Lynch was jailed for life with a minimum of 16 years for sexually assaulting Piper and telling Sylvestre to throw acid over her.
The pair had dated briefly before steroid-fuelled martial arts fan Lynch, who had a previous conviction for pouring boiling water over a man, became obsessively jealous.
In court, Lynch and Sylvestre were told by Judge Nicholas Browne QC they were “the face of pure evil”.
Piper, a 35-year-old presenter and former model, is best known for sharing her story about surviving the attack in the documentary Katie: My Beautiful Face.