A Suffolk man has denied 'recruiting' a man to throw acid over his former girlfriend after she ended their six year relationship.

Giving evidence at Ipswich Crown Court today, Anthony Riley denied forcing 28-year-old Jason Harrison to throw sulphuric acid over 22-year-old Adele Bellis by threatening him and putting a knife in his mouth.

Riley said there was no truth in claims by Harrison that he had recruited him to carry out the attack, which left Miss Bellis with horrific injuries, in August last year.

He also denied arranging for 39-year-old Leon Thompson to attack Miss Bellis with a knife in an alleyway in Lowestoft two months before the alleged acid attack.

The court has heard that Miss Bellis, who worked as a beautician and was described as being 'proud of her appearance and looks', needed surgery after allegedly being stabbed in the mouth by Thompson in April last year.

Riley, 27, of Raglan Street, Lowestoft, and Thompson, 39, of Alma Road, Lowestoft, have denied conspiring to throw sulphuric acid over Miss Bellis with intent to maim or disfigure her.

They have also denied conspiring to wound Miss Bellis with intent to cause her grievous bodily harm between March 1- April 30 last year

Riley has further denied falsely imprisoning Miss Bellis on or about March 15 last year and Thompson has denied having a Stanley knife and wounding Miss Bellis with intent to do her grievous bodily harm on April 29 last year.

Harrison, 28, of Princes Road, Lowestoft, and Daniel Marshall, of Rose Court, Lowestoft, have admitted their part in the attack on Miss Bellis.

The court has heard that Miss Bellis was left with horrific injuries after Riley allegedly paid Harrison to throw acid over her.

The acid landed on her face and head and burned into her skin and through her clothes and she spent three weeks in hospital undergoing skin grafts and extensive reconstructive surgery to areas of her body including her face, thighs and hand.

As a result of the attack Miss Bellis lost her right ear and had been left partially bald and disfigured for life.

Giving evidence, Riley said he heard a woman had been injured in an acid attack in the Lowestoft area in and found out it was Miss Bellis in emails from her friends.

He admitted he had recruited people in the past to grow cannabis for him to sell but he denied a suggestion from prosecution counsel Andrew Jackson he had recruited Thompson to attack Miss Bellis with a knife and Harrison to throw acid over her.

'You are adept at making sure that other people take the risk for your criminality. You arranged for people to attack Adele Bellis,' said Mr Jackson to which Riley replied: 'No. Not at all.'

Riley accepted he had posted 'revenge porn' of him and Miss Bellis on his Facebook page after she refused to take his phone calls.

He also accepted giving her a black eye during a row in March last year but denied locking her in his flat.

The trial, which is now in its second week, continues tomorrow.