Sister: I was forced to lie about Sandwell doorstep acid attack
The half-sister of the victim of a doorstep acid attack yesterday admitted lying to police about who was responsible.
Ceri Parkes conceded there was barely a grain of truth in the sworn statement about the incident she gave to police two days after the attack.
The 26-year-old agreed when Mr Anthony Warner, prosecuting, said to her at Wolverhampton Crown Court: "Pretty much every word was false, you later admitted to police that it was false and have since come to court to admit attempting to pervert the course of justice."
The jury heard how Parkes was involved in an intimate relationship with Mohammed Rafiq, aged 80, for two years before introducing him to her half-sister Vikki Horsman.
The pensioner is accused of plotting the acid attack.
He stated that if I did not do what he wanted there would be serious consequences."
Parkes told the jury Rafiq asked her to come and see him at his home in Cheshire Road, Smethwick, the day after her half sister Vikki suffered 'terrible burns'.
The attack came after the victim answered the front door of the house where she was living in MacDonald Close, Tividale to a caller on April 15.
Parkes continued: "Raf asked me to make a false statement to the police blaming somebody I had never met.
"He told me what to write. He gave me a piece of paper on which I wrote down the details of what he wanted me to say."
Members of the jury were shown copies of the piece of paper on which the notes were supposedly written and the statement she made about the acid attack to police on April 17.
Parkes told the jury that she had first met Rafiq in 2008.
She revealed: "We got into a sexual relationship that went on for a couple of years.
"It came to an end when I formed a relationship with somebody else.
"He wasn't happy. I thought he was aged about 50.
"He stopped talking to me for a while. After about a month he started talking to me again. I saw him occasionally after that and introduced Vikki to him about two years ago."
The prosecution has claimed he planned the attack with co-accused Shannon Heaps, 23, and 25-year-old Steven Holmes who is said to have thrown the acid at Miss Horsman, who is now aged 20.
Rafiq, Holmes of Allan Close, Smethwick and Heaps of Queens Avenue, Tividale all deny inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent.
Rafiq further pleads not guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice.
The case continues.
