The family of a 16-year-old boy who had acid thrown in his face have spoken of their fury after learning the man who committed the attack is to be released early from prison.
Drug dealer Gilson Martins, now 24, threw corrosive acid in the face of the teenager in Stockport in March 2024. He was jailed in April 2025 for eight years and two months after being convicted of robbery, two counts of possession of a corrosive substance, intimidation and drugs offences.
A relative of the victim said the family was told by a victim liaison officer that Martins is to be let out of prison after serving two years of his sentence.
Family speaks out
“I’m angry, we feel let down,” the relative told the Manchester Evening News. “He’s impacted someone’s life forever and only gets two years for it.”
The boy went to a friend’s house to shower before going to hospital. He was left with a large chemical burn to his neck and face.
“He was in hospital for a few weeks, I remember they were always changing his bandages and giving him round-the-clock treatment,” the boy’s relative added. “It’s affected his confidence, he doesn’t like going out to big, public places.”
Early release scheme
The release comes as 650 offenders are scheduled to be set free on Tuesday (November 10) as part of an early release scheme that will see around 5,000 prisoners released before the end of their sentences. Under the scheme, eligible prisoners are released after serving a third of their total custodial sentence. Those convicted of manslaughter, rape, and serious child sex and grooming offences are exempt.
It is unclear exactly when Martins - formerly of Ashton Street in Rochdale - is due to be released. He threw the acid after the victim refused to hand over his jacket.
After the incident, Martins boasted it had “gone down a treat”. When police found him on April 11, he had another bottle of acid, 30 wraps of heroin and cocaine, a bag of cannabis, two mobile phones, a balaclava and cash.
Sentencing and reaction
Martins initially claimed the victim was carrying a knife, but that was not accepted by prosecutors or a judge. He later accepted that was not true. He was also sentenced for intimidation and drugs offences, including intent to supply cannabis and ketamine, and possession of ecstasy in relation to an unrelated case.
Jailing him in 2025, Recorder David Temkin KC said: “This was an unprovoked, planned, targeted attack on a young man who was not carrying a knife.”
Labour has faced criticism over its emergency prisoner early release scheme, which the government says was implemented to tackle severe prison overcrowding. Some 700 offenders left prison early on October 1, all of whom were serving terms of less than 19 months.
Reform UK has strongly opposed the scheme, arguing that releasing offenders after serving a portion of their sentence increases crime and endangers the public. Zia Yusuf, the party’s spokesperson for home affairs, said: “Every single prisoner released today is an indictment of successive Tory and Labour ministers. They failed to build more prison places whilst throwing the door open to millions of people to come to our country.
“Now the public is paying the price. 5,000 prisoners – many of whom are dangerous – will be free to walk our streets and terrify their victims without serving their sentences.
“Every prisoner released today who goes on to reoffend will be on them.”
The Manchester Evening News contacted the Ministry of Justice, which said it does not comment on individual cases. A spokesperson added: "Within weeks of coming into office, the Prime Minister and Justice Secretary took action to keep more of the most serious criminals locked up.
“But we have been honest about the scale of the crisis we inherited in our prisons. If we had failed to act, the police would have been forced to halt arrests, putting communities at untold risk.
“To make sure this never happens again, we are pulling every lever to fix the broken justice system - building 14,000 new prison spaces, with 3,300 already built, boosting victim support funding to record levels, and giving probation the powers they need to put offenders who are released under some of the toughest restrictions to date."
