Dana Vulin before the 2012 attack which left her with severe burns and (right) pictured outside the District Court today following a guilty verdict against Natalie Dimitrovska. Source: PerthNow
Burns victim Dana Vulin leaves court after her attacker Natalie Dimitrovska was found guilty. Picture: Kerris Berrington Source: PerthNow
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A DISTRICT court jury has found a woman guilty of the attack which left Rivervale woman Dana Vulin with burns to 60 per cent of her body.
Natalie Dimitrovska, 28, was found guilty of intentionally causing grievous bodily harm to Ms Vulin, who will require treatment for the rest of her life.
The jury took three and a half hours to reach a verdict.
Ms Vulin appeared relieved upon hearing the decision, holding her hands up to her chest and embracing her family, who let out sighs of relief.
Ms Dimitrovska held her head in her hands and cried in the dock as the decision was read.
She is due to be sentenced on October 11.
Dana Vulin's family outside the District Court following a guilty verdict against Natalie Dimitrovska. Picture: Kerris Berrington Source: PerthNow
Outside court Ms Vulin's sister, Svetlana Velickovski, spoke of her relief at the decision.
"Thank you to all of the people who have supported Dana and our family," she said.
"Today's verdict brought up a lot of relief.
"Thank you again for the tens of thousands of comments on the 'We heart Dana' Facebook page.
"We couldn't be happier and look forward to her (Ms Dimitrovska) getting a lengthy sentence."
Ms Dimitrovska's lawyer, David Manera, said his client was "devastated" by the verdict but did not want to make further comment before sentencing.
Ms Vulin will undergo further surgery on Friday.
Compelling trial
During the eight-day trial, the District Court jury was told Dimitrovska had threatened Ms Vulin repeatedly, accusing her of having an affair with her estranged husband Edin Handanovic.
Dimitrovska had told Ms Vulin she would “ruin her pretty little face” on the phone days before the attack.
In the early hours of February 16 2012, Dimitrovska and her friend Daniel Stone broke into Ms Vulin’s riverfront apartment and started to argue with her.
An argument started and Dimitrovska picked up a bottle of methylated spirits, throwing it at Ms Vulin who was holding a lit methylated spirits lamp.
Dimitrovska was accused of laughing as she ran away while Ms Vulin became a “human fireball” suffering burns to 60 per cent of her body.
In the days after, Dimitrovska then changed her hair colour and bought a one-way ticket to Macedonia, before being arrested at Perth International Airport minutes before the plane was set to leave.
Dimitrovska claimed she had not meant to injure Ms Vulin, and had thrown the bottle in self-defence during the argument.
