Father jailed for 16 years for organising acid attack on his own son

The father of a young boy who orchestrated an acid attack against his son in a bid to show his mother in a bad light has been jailed for 16 years.

A jury at Worcester Crown Court found the the 40-year-old man, who cannot be named to protect his son’s identity, guilty of conspiring to spray sulphuric acid on the boy between June 1 and July 22 2018 with intent to harm after deliberating for nine hours.

He stood trial alongside a woman and five other men – the men were also convicted.

The incident took place in a Home Bargains store in the city as the boy and his mother shopped for a birthday present.

Jurors convicted Adam Cech, 27, of Farnham Road, Birmingham, Jan Dudi, 25, of Cranbrook Road, Birmingham, and Norbert Pulko, 22, of Sutherland Road, London, Jabar Paktia, 42, of New Hampton Road, Wolverhampton; and 43-year-old Saied Hussini, of Wrottesley Road, London of the offence.

The jury cleared Martina Badiova, 23, of Newcombe Road, Handsworth, Birmingham.

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Sentencing, Judge Robert Juckes QC said: “Even battle-hardened crown court judges were sickened when they heard the news that someone had attacked a three-year-old with sulphuric acid.”

He added: “Everyone asked what on earth would lead a father to have acid sprayed upon his own son – what kind of people would carry out such an attack?

“I started this trial in the hope that I might gain some insight and some answer to this question, but I have not.”

The other five men found guilty of conspiring to throw acid on the boy were jailed for between 12 and 14 years.

Judge Juckes told them: “It is an extraordinary thing in this case that not one of you, most of whom have no previous convictions, most of whom with families of your own, at any stage stood back and asked the question of yourself and others: what are we doing?”

Prosecutor Jonathan Rees QC previously told the trial the dad was the “driving force” behind the attack, which took place in at 2pm at the Shrub Hill Retail Park in Worcester.

He told the court the defendant had taken the separation from his wife “badly” and plotted the attack for “humiliating” him in front of his Muslim family.

“At the time of the attack, the little boy was with his mother and his older brother and sister. The family had been shopping for a birthday present.

“As a result of the attack, the little boy suffered acid burns to his left forearm and his forehead which were treated in hospital.”