Colleague threw boiling water in cleaner's face

The "vain and arrogant" cleaner who threw a jug of boiling water over a colleague following an argument escaped a jail term yesterday (December 12).

Hagar Acheampong, 40, left her victim with long-lasting scarring and pain following the incident at the hospital in July.

Speaking from her hospital bed after the attack, mother-of-three Linda Asere, of Histon Road, Cambridge told the News about her gruesome ordeal.

She said: "It was terrible. I was really scared. It felt like I had acid poured on my face. I feel really bad. I am still in terrible pain. I have had surgery and they took all the skin off.

"I have been in Britain for five years. This is the most terrible thing that has ever happened to me. I don't know what the future holds or if I will be scarred. I just don't know."

Mrs Asere was cleaning a ward at about 4.35pm on Tuesday, July 1, when the incident happened.

The 34-year-old from Ghana was helped by her friend and fellow cleaner at the hospital, Mary Ayo, of Newmarket Road.

She said: "Linda was in a terrible state. It was unbelievable. She said it was like a fire burning her skin and it just got worse.

"I took her home and the next day it got even worse. The skin was just peeling off her and she was in terrible pain.

"It is an evil thing to do to anybody."

Both cleaners work for Medirest Care agency, which is subcontracted to clean the hospital.

Ghanaian Acheampong, of Bancroft Close, Cambridge, was sentenced at Cambridge Crown Court yesterday after being convicted of grievous bodily harm following a four-day trial last month.

Judge Gareth Hawkesworth told the court the seriousness of the offence "plainly merits a custodial sentence" - but decided to suspend her nine-month imprisonment for two years, as he felt Acheampong was showing the "beginnings of genuine remorse".

He told Acheampong: "At times you can be rather vain and rather arrogant, and it is quite clear to this court that your temper got the better of you, and you recklessly threw that hot water, scalding water, at her, at her face and at her breast.

"That is a terrible thing for a woman to have to bear for the rest of her life."

The court heard that as a result of the incident - sparked by a row about Acheampong's daughter and the victim's immigration status - the victim was left needing a skin graft and plastic surgery.

Acheampong, who was dismissed by the hospital after the incident, now works at Sidney Sussex College.

Sally Hobson, mitigating, insisted Acheampong was "genuinely remorseful" and had written a letter of apology to the victim, who she had known for many years.

Acheampong was given 18 months' supervision, and ordered to attend Think First workshops and carry out 100 hours of community work.

She was also ordered to pay out £5,000 in compensation to the victim, plus £2,210 in legal costs.