Gilson Martins Jailed for Throwing Acid into 16 Year Old Boy’s Face After He Refused to Hand Over Coat

Gilson Martins, a 23-year-old from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, has been sentenced to over eight years in prison for a brutal acid attack on a 16-year-old boy in Stockport. The premeditated assault, motivated by the teenager’s refusal to hand over his jacket, left the victim with severe, life-changing injuries.

Martins’ actions, coupled with subsequent attempts to intimidate a witness, have drawn widespread condemnation, highlighting the devastating impact of acid attacks and the challenges in addressing such violent crimes.

The Attack: A Planned Act of Violence

On March 24, 2024, Gilson Martins orchestrated a calculated assault in the Woodley area of Stockport. He lured the 16-year-old victim to a specific address under the pretense of a drug transaction, facilitated by an accomplice, Joanne Edwards, who arranged the meeting.

Shortly before 10 p.m., Martins confronted the teenager, demanding his jacket. When the boy resisted, a fight broke out, and Gilson Martins produced a bottle containing a corrosive substance—later identified as hydrofluoric acid—and threw it in the victim’s face. The teenager suffered immediate pain, with his jacket beginning to “bubble” from the chemical reaction.

The victim fled to a friend’s house to wash off the acid before being rushed to Stepping Hill Hospital. Tests confirmed the use of a corrosive substance, and he was transferred to a specialist burns unit for intensive treatment.

The attack left him with permanent scarring and chemical burns to his face and neck, requiring multiple medical procedures. Martins, meanwhile, stole drugs from the victim and fled the scene with Edwards, who drove him away. Hours later, he boasted that the attack had “gone down a treat,” demonstrating a chilling lack of remorse.

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Martins had planned the attack meticulously, producing the acid himself and showing its effects to a witness by pouring it on paper, declaring, “Imagine that on his skin? It’s going to melt his face off.”

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This premeditation, combined with his history of drug dealing with the victim, underscored the revenge-driven nature of the assault, as noted by Recorder David Temkin KC at Minshull Street Crown Court.

Investigation and Arrest: Building the Case

The investigation, led by Greater Manchester Police, quickly gathered momentum. Eyewitness accounts, CCTV footage, and cell site data pinpointing Martins’ mobile phone location formed a robust case, as outlined by Laura Keegan, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West.

A critical breakthrough came from a witness who had overheard Martins planning the attack and seen him demonstrate the acid’s potency. This witness became a target of Martins’ intimidation efforts, further compounding his charges.

On April 4, 2024, Gilson Martins tracked down the 21-year-old son of his accomplice, Edwards, who had spoken to police. Kicking in the man’s back door, Martins threatened to stab him, throw acid on him, and carve his name into his body.

The man barricaded himself in his bedroom while Martins stabbed a knife into the doorframe, leaving the blade behind as he fled. This incident added a charge of witness intimidation to Martins’ growing list of offenses.

Armed police arrested Gilson Martins on April 10, 2024, in a dramatic operation captured on body-worn cameras. Officers, wearing gas masks, apprehended him in the back of a taxi, where he was found with another bottle of acid disguised in a hair dye container.

A search also uncovered 30 wraps of heroin and cocaine, a bag of cannabis, two mobile phones, a balaclava, and cash, linking him to additional drug-related charges from 2022. Martins pleaded guilty to robbery, two counts of possessing a corrosive substance, witness intimidation, and drug offenses, including intent to supply cannabis and ketamine and possession of ecstasy.

Legal and Societal Implications

Gilson Martins was sentenced to eight years and two months at Minshull Street Crown Court on April 15, 2025. The sentence, which included unrelated drug offenses from 2022, was described by Laura Keegan as reflecting the “severity of his crimes.”

Detective Constable Heather Parke emphasized the “utterly vile” nature of acid attacks, noting their potential for “severe, life-changing injuries or even death.” She praised the police’s zero-tolerance approach, which ensured Martins faced justice.

Joanne Edwards, 45, who drove Martins to and from the scene, pleaded guilty to assisting an offender. She received an 18-month community order with a nine-month drug rehabilitation requirement and 15 rehabilitation activity days. Prosecutors noted that Edwards was unaware of the planned attack but became complicit by aiding Martins’ escape.

The case has reignited discussions about the rising use of corrosive substances as weapons in the UK. Acid attacks, while relatively rare, have devastating physical and psychological impacts, with victims often requiring lifelong medical and emotional support.

The accessibility of corrosive substances like hydrofluoric acid, which Gilson Martins produced himself, poses a significant challenge for law enforcement. Recent legislative efforts, such as the 2018 Offensive Weapons Act, have tightened controls on acid sales, but cases like this highlight the need for further prevention measures, including public awareness campaigns and stricter penalties.

The attack’s impact extends beyond the victim, affecting communities in Stockport and beyond. The court heard that the witness targeted by Martins cut ties with his mother, Edwards, due to fear, illustrating the broader ripple effects of such crimes.

The case also underscores the importance of witness protection, as intimidation attempts like Gilson Martins’ can deter others from coming forward. Greater Manchester Police’s swift response and collaboration with the CPS set a precedent for handling complex cases involving corrosive substances, but the permanent scarring of a 16-year-old serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of such violence.