Sulphuric acid attack: How Sussex detectives caught Milad Rouf

That is according to the detective in charge of the investigation into the attack by Milad Rouf, who travelled to Brighton in 2021 and disguised himself in a fat suit in order to fool his former partner and carry out the assault.

Detective Inspector Simon Morgan and his team received a divisional commendation at the Brighton and Hove Divisional Awards ceremony on June 6 for their investigation into the attack by Rouf that left his victim with devastating injuries.

Rym Alaoui was subjected to the horrific attack in Brighton in 2021 when she was tricked by Rouf on her doorstep.

Detective Inspector Simon Morgan, Detective Sergeant Jenny Pietersen and investigator Rose Horan

DI Morgan said Rouf’s planning of the attack was “like something out of a film”.

“The way he planned it was just incredibly methodical,” he said. “For example, we couldn’t trace him through bank cards as he used cash for everything. What was also quite astonishing was that he bought trainers with an enlarged sole so he would appear to be taller than he actually was.”

The detective said the investigation continued for 24 hours a day for around six weeks as officers in Sussex and colleagues across the UK and Wales started to piece together Rouf’s movements before and after the attack.

Much of the work involved the painstaking work of piecing together CCTV images of Rouf’s movements through the city as he attacked his victim and then tried to hide his route out of the city, which included changing his clothes and appearance several times throughout the day.

Detective Sergeant Jenny Pietersen described the investigation as a “once in a lifetime moment”.

“Those type of cases – thankfully – don’t happen very often,” she said. “What I remember most about the case was the bravery and courage of the victim throughout the case. She was an inspiration.”

READ MORE: Brighton acid attacker Milad Rouf jailed