Bolshoi Ballet Acid Attack: Pavel Dmitrichenko Guilty of Attack on Sergei Filin

A top ballet dancer at the Bolshoi Ballet has been convicted of an acid attack on the company's artistic director.

Pavel Dmitrichenko, 29, was found guilty with two other men of throwing sulphuric acid in to Sergei Filin's face, in a case which exposed vicious in-fighting behind the scenes of one of Russia's top cultural institutions.

The eyesight of Filin, 43, was badly damaged by the assault, and he required a series of operations to stop him going completely blind.

Dmitrichenko had denied the attack. He admitted wanting to "rough up" Filin but claimed the attack had gone too far. A court in Moscow heard the dancer attacked Filin over suspicions he had about corruption at the dance company.

Filin was brutally attacked outside his home in Moscow as he returned from work at the company in January. An assailant called his name and then hurled acid in his face, which left him writhing on the ground in agony and crying for help.