A FATHER who plotted a ‘sickening’ and ‘monstrous’ acid attack on his three-year-old son and the conspirators who helped carry it out were jailed for a total of nearly 80 years, we reported in March.

The father of the boy and five of his co-defendants, including two who worked in Redditch, were unanimously convicted of conspiracy to apply a corrosive fluid with intent following a six week trial at Worcester Crown Court.

The boy’s mother said he would be ‘scarred for life’ after he was squirted with sulphuric acid in Home Bargains in Worcester at 2.16pm on July 21 last year, screaming ‘I hurt, I hurt!’ in the wake of the attack.

The plot was driven by the boy’s father who was locked in a bitter custody battle with his estranged wife.

He had already arranged to have photographs doctored to make it look like his children had been injured in her care.

His wife, who gave evidence via videolink, described how her husband had previously talked of having her and their children killed and even taking them abroad for that purpose, asking an imam whether this was permitted.

The 40-year-old Afghan, who cannot be identified as it would identify the three-year-old victim, was jailed for 16 years and middle man Saied Hussini, 43, was jailed for 14 years.

Hussini enlisted the support of the Slovaks for the plot and was present at a failed mission or ‘dry run’ for the acid attack at a Worcester school eight says before the attack.

The second Afghan middle man, Jabar Paktia, 42, of New Hampton Road, Wolverhampton was jailed for 12 years.

The three Slovaks who entered Home Bargains were each jailed for 12 years.

They were: Adam Cech 27, of Farnham Road, Birmingham, who squirted the acid, Norbert Pulko, 22, of Sutherland Road, London and Jan Dudi, 26, of Cranbrook Road, Birmingham who recorded the attack on his mobile phone as proof to the father that ‘the mission’ had been successful.

Cech and Dudi knew each other from when they worked together at Oliver James Foods in Redditch, where they associated together at break times.

Martina Badiova was cleared of any involvement in the conspiracy leading to loud cheers from the public gallery and calls of ‘yes!’