Video shows acid attack on toddler 'plotted by dad'
His father is accused of plotting the attack after being stung by his wife walking out on him and taking their two children.
Friday 1 February 2019 06:10, UK
Video of the moment a three-year-old boy had sulphuric acid thrown over him in an attack allegedly planned by his father has been shown in court.
The youngster, who cannot be named for legal reasons, suffered serious burns to his face and arm in the incident at Home Bargains shop in Worcester on 21 July last year.
His parents were embroiled in a custody dispute at the time, and his 40-year-old father is accused of plotting the attack after being stung by his wife walking out on him and taking their two children in April 2016.
At Worcester Crown Court on Thursday, the jury was told how the injured child repeatedly screamed "I hurt" after being hit by the substance, which happened while he was standing with his brother looking at footballs.
Their mother had driven to the store with her children at about 2pm to buy a party gift and CCTV played in court showed the car being followed by a silver Vauxhall Vectra.
Inside the second vehicle were three men said to have been "enlisted" by the father to attack his son - in a bid to secure more contact with him by painting his estranged wife as an "unfit mother".
They were Adam Cech, 27, of Farnham Road, Birmingham, Jan Dudi, 25, of Cranbrook Road, Birmingham, and Norbert Pulko, 22, of Sutherland Road, London
All of them followed the mother and her sons into the shop at 2.13pm and the boys ended up entranced by a display of colourful footballs at the end of an aisle.
While the victim pointed up at the footballs as his brother did some practice kicks, a man in a white T-shirt - identified in court as Cech - walked past and extended his arm with an object in his hand.
As Cech exited the frame of the CCTV, the victim could be seen looking quickly back towards him before running away to his mother nearby.
Prosecutor Jonathan Rees QC told the court that it was an "acid attack" that was "over in a split second".
The boy suffered a 10cm (3.9in) burn to his left forearm and also a 3cm (1.2in) burn on his forehead, which required specialist hospital treatment.
Eight days before, the father was said to have organised an "aborted" attack near a school.
It was allegedly planned to be carried out by Pulko and two other defendants - Martina Badiova, 22, of Newcombe Road, Birmingham, and Saied Hussini, 42, of Wrottesley Road, London.
Witnesses were so concerned about their "suspicious activity" on 13 July that they took photos, which have formed part of the case against them.
The court heard details of evidence taken from phone call logs, which featured contact between all of the accused, including Jabar Paktia, 42, of Newhampton Road, Wolverhampton.
He is said to have called the father some 20 minutes after the attack at the Home Bargains, and then met up with Paktia somewhere in the Birmingham area at about 5.20pm.
Later in the evening, the father is said to have sent stickers "with motifs and images" to Paktia, including one of what appeared to be a deer comforting a tearful fox.
Another featured a young lady alongside the "Nailed It" caption.
He and the other defendants are charged with conspiring to unlawfully or maliciously cast or throw sulphuric acid on or at the boy between 1 June and 22 July, with intent to burn, maim, disfigure or disable him, or do grievous bodily harm.
They all deny the allegation.