Father convicted of plotting acid attack on three-year-old boy

A father has been found guilty of plotting an acid attack on his three-year-old son during a bitter custody battle with the child’s mother.

The parent and five other men were all unanimously convicted by a jury of conspiring to throw sulphuric acid with intent to “burn, maim or disfigure” the boy in an attack inside a busy shop in July 2018.

A six-week trial at Worcester Crown Court was told that the youngster, who cannot be identified due to his age, suffered serious injuries to his face and arm at a Home Bargains store in the city.

After the attack the victim screamed “I hurt” over and over again, jurors heard.

The Crown alleged that the father, stung by his wife walking out on him in 2016, enlisted others to attack his son – in a bid to win more contact with the child by showing that his mother was unfit to care for him.

Jurors deliberated for nine hours before convicting the father, from Wolverhampton but originally from Afghanistan, on Wednesday.

Jurors also convicted co-conspirators Adam Cech, Jan Dudi, Norbert Pulko, Jabar Paktia, and Saied Hussini of plotting to spray sulphuric acid on the boy with intent to cause harm.

The jury are still deliberating on a seventh defendant, Martina Badiova, who is accused of the same offence.

The boy has since made a “good recovery” and is living with his mother.