10 January 2024 , 18:41
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A nightmare flatmate threw a pot of boiling oil over a man after having thoughts about mass murder, a court heard.
Ivan Bonaparte carried out the bizarre plan to give himself a roof over his head, albeit a prison one, after facing eviction because he spent all his rent money on skunk - a high strength strain of cannabis linked to a higher risk of psychotic mental health episodes.
The 33-year-old was jailed for six years at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Monday, January 8, after a long history of violence which escalated to an unprovoked attack on his roommate, Daniel Asianicasi, at their home on Cambeys Road in Dagenham in July 2023. Bonaparte admitted grievous bodily harm and possession of a hammer after handing himself into Dagenham police station 40 minutes later.
The Portuguese national was previously spared jail by a judge at Liverpool Crown Court in 2020 after telling another flatmate "that will be one less gay in the world" while threatening him with a claw hammer and boiling kettle at their bedsit in Southport. Bonaparte's previous convictions include GBH against his dad, common assault, and breach of a restraining order.
On July 30 2023, Bonaparte boiled a large metal pot of oil on the stovetop and threw it over Mr Asianicasi while he was cooking dinner with his back turned, causing full-thickness burns over eight per cent of his body, prosecutor Greg Unwin said. The victim then ran outside screaming for the landlord to call an ambulance and police, and then back inside to run cold water over his blistering skin.
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The incident occurred at a property in Cambeys Road in Dagenham in July 2023 (MyLondon / BPM Media)Mr Asianicasi later told police he had not spoken to Bonaparte for two months, but recalled an incident in February 2023 when his attacker smashed his door with a hammer because he was watching TV too loudly. Other flatmates vouched for Bonaparte's behaviour, telling police he was 'aggressive and unpredictable' and 'someone to be fearful of', Mr Unwin told the court.
Under questioning, Bonaparte said he was depressed, had lost his job, was behind on rent, and feared he would be made street homeless if evicted. His idea, Mr Unwin explained, was to throw boiling oil over his flatmate to get 'a long prison sentence and help and support'. Another resident tried to talk him out of it as they smoked cannabis together, but after a short nap the plan went ahead.
"He went to the kitchen and began cooking the oil... He said the moment he picked up the oil his heart was shaking because he knew what he was about to do. He knew it would cause serious burns and scarring and even a risk of death. His own feelings were more important to him at the time than those of the victim," said Mr Unwin.
Bonaparte also had a hammer in his waistband in case he was attacked, and raised it as Mr Asianicasi ran from the kitchen screaming in pain. In the same interview, he told police he had been "having thoughts of mass murder" and this incident showed he was "capable of doing something very serious", Mr Unwin added.
Mr Asianicasi was rushed to Queen's Hospital in Romford, then to the burns unit at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, Essex, where he received a skin graft from his thigh to treat burns on his shoulder and back. The attack left him in 'very, very bad' pain for weeks, with scars on his face, back, shoulder, and legs, and at constant risk of infection with his skin still peeling weeks later.
In an impact statement, he said: "When I was in hospital after what happened I was confused as I did not understand why he did this. We had no discussion before the attack. He just did this.
"Ivan is a threat to anyone around him. Most discussions we had he was convinced he was right. If someone disagreed he would become angry and threatening... One time I was watching TV on my day off and he hit my door with a hammer because he wanted me to turn the TV down."
Defence barrister Danny Barnard said his client had 'extreme remorse' and had told him 'the guy did not deserve it and I feel really really bad about what I did'. Explaining his reasoning for the offence, Mr Barnard said Bonaparte spent £120 a week on a 'very strong' strain of skunk cannabis which had left him in rent arrears and impending homelessness.
Judge Alison Levitt KC considered Bonaparte's physically abusive upbringing, at the hands of his father, but shared 'particular concern' about his future risk to members of the public. She passed an extended sentence of six years plus another four on license, with four months to run concurrently for possession of an offensive weapon.
She referred to his previous conviction in 2020, when he boiled a kettle and threatened to scald the victim, prompting a probation officer to warn: "Prison cannot be the answer to Mr Bonaparte's problems, especially when it involves the harm of others."
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She called the use of boiling oil an 'escalation' from the threat of boiling water.
"This was a completely unprovoked attack, the victim had done nothing to deserve this. They had done nothing to provoke it. It was done because you thought you would become street homeless," Judge Levitt said. She also handed Bonaparte an indefinite restraining order which bans him from contacting the victim or returning to his old address.