‘I am a survivor and not a victim’: Woman burned with acid and boiling water during assault vows to help others

A woman who was beaten, had acid thrown in her face and boiling water poured on her back before being left in a burning house has told a court that she is a survivor rather than a victim and now wants to help other people.

Simone Lee (43) said the attack by Christopher Stokes (39) at her former home on Fairview Crescent in Garryowen, Limerick had left her “with lifelong scars, both mental and physical” but she feels lucky to have survived and hopes to “make a positive impact”.

Stokes (39), of Sarsfield Avenue, Garryowen, had denied attempting to murder Ms Lee on May 11th, 2021, when he was first arraigned before a jury at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork on Monday.

He later pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm to Ms Lee, to arson at her home and to threatening to kill or cause serious injury to her friend, Tim Fehin (73).

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Det Garda Aled Harkin told Mr Justice Michael McGrath that Ms Lee had overcome some challenges in her life and was living in a house run by the Peter McVerry Trust when she became friendly with Stokes.

Became agitated

He told prosecution counsel Seán Gillane that Stokes stayed at Ms Lee’s on May 9th, 2021 and became agitated and concerned the next day about not having money to pay maintenance to his former partner.

He asked Ms Lee to call Mr Fehin, who owed them both money. Mr Fehin drove down from his home near Charleville and said that when he arrived Stokes was agitated and aggressive, striking Ms Lee and knocking her to the ground.

They got into Mr Fehin’s car, with Stokes in the rear seat, and drove to Charleville. Stokes and Ms Lee went into Lidl and Stokes bought a bottle of rum. While driving back to Limerick, Stokes began to hit Ms Lee, striking her head with the bottle, causing her to bleed.

The detective said Ms Lee was upset and tried to calm Stokes down but he ordered Mr Fehin to drive them back to Ms Lee’s home and park at the side of the house.

Once inside Stokes used a fridge freezer to block the entrance so Ms Lee and Mr Fehin could not escape, the court heard. He then hit Ms Lee in the face and kicked her in the jaw. She hit her head off a TV stand as she fell to the ground.

Bury bodies

Det Garda Harkin said Mr Fehin asked Stokes, who is of a very big build, to stop. Stokes told him he was going to kill them both, cut up their bodies and bring them to Charleville to bury them on Mr Fehin’s farm.

Stokes then put a bin liner over Ms Lee’s head and tightened it around her neck as he held her down on a couch. He then found some ammonia acid and threw it on Ms Lee’s face three times, with some going into her eyes causing her vision to blur. Stokes then boiled the kettle and poured the contents on Ms Lee’s back. She later told gardaí that the pain from being scalded was “excruciating”.

Mr Fehin managed to unblock the door, escape and called An Garda Síochána at 2.45am. He did not go into the detail about the assault. When gardaí arrived at 3am, they remained outside as they had no indication the situation was so serious.

Det Garda Harkin told Mr Gillane that Ms Lee lost consciousness after Stokes poured boiling water on her and continued to punch her. Ms Lee’s next memory was waking up to discover herself covered in cardboard boxes and realising that her home was on fire.

She managed to leave the house and the emergency services came to her aid after a neighbour raised the alarm. She was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital.

Stokes was on the property when the emergency services arrived and firefighters managed to get him from the burning building. Gardaí later arrested Stokes and he told them that he “saw the room on fire and I tried to help – I actually saved her (Ms Lee)”.

In her victim impact statement, Ms Lee told the court she was the victim of a “serious and sustained assault” in her home which has left her with “scars on my body which I still feel pain in” and still require treatment almost two years on. She said she felt “vulnerable” and “petrified” and was “unrecognisable” afterwards.

“I recently saw the photos of my injuries and I couldn’t believe how bad I looked.”

Ms Lee said she could not see for three days due to Stokes throwing acid on her face and was terrified for a period that she might go blind. Her home of four years was left uninhabitable and she now lives in temporary accommodation and will not be able to return.

‘Finish the job’

She told the court she was the victim of another horrific assault by a man in 2016 but remembers little of it. However, she said she is still haunted by the threats, taunts and actions of Stokes during the 2021 ordeal. “Christopher Stokes told me that he would finish the job of the first assault, he told me that I was worthless, and that no one would miss me.”

Looking to the future, Ms Lee said: “I hope to make a positive impact on others, to help others who have been victims. For all the fear that this man caused me, I am proud I am here today telling my story – I am a survivor and not a victim.”

In a victim impact statement, read out by Det Garda Harkin, Mr Fehin said the horror of that night continues to haunt him.

“I was so frightened that I was unable to help Simone and it still haunts me,” he said. “I think about what happened every day and when I am home alone on my land, it goes over in my head how he told me he was going to kill me and bury me in my own land and it still terrifies me.”

Brian McInerney SC, for Stokes, said his client had pleaded guilty to three charges on the indictment and by doing so had spared his victims the trauma of having to give evidence.

He said Stokes had asked him to apologise for his actions on the night and that he wishes he could turn back the clock.

Mr Justice McGrath remanded Stokes in custody to be sentenced on Thursday.