Acid attack: attempted murder charge

Police have charged a 25-year-old man with attempted murder in relation to a violent attack on two Sri Lankan students in which they were splashed with acid and stabbed.

A group of men allegedly forced their way into the students' Westmead home around midnight on May 17.

Jayasri Watawala, 22, was seriously burned after the men allegedly threw acid at him.

Chathurika Weerasinghe, 27, who was also burned with acid, was also stabbed in the stomach and broke his ankle.

Two men were arrested after the attack.

The 25-year-old accused of attempted murder, from Girraween, was also charged with failure as an owner to disclose the identity of the driver or passenger of a vehicle.

A Hebersham man, 26, was charged with concealing a serious offence.

Today's charge came after the 25-year-old presented himself to Merrylands police station this morning.

Police will allege the man charged today is "one of the principal offenders'' in the home invasion, Detective Inspector Albert Joseph, from Strike Force Dorward, said.

"There are a number of other offenders we are still looking for,'' he said.

He would not speculate on the alleged motive for the attack but said clashes between groups of Tamils and Singhalese in the lead up to the home invasion were looked at by investigators.