Westcliff: Child abuser convicted after attacking two-year-old

A man has been convicted of violently assaulting a two-year-old girl, leaving her with life-changing brain injuries.

Kiernan Hughes-Mason was charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent and child cruelty after the girl was found with serious injuries at an address in Westcliff-on-Sea in January 2020.

During the case the prosecution barrister referred to one doctor’s assessment of the child’s injuries as comparable to ‘a high-speed road traffic accident’ or ‘a fall from a substantial height of several storeys’.

He will be sentenced on Tuesday 10 September at Basildon Crown Court.

On 31 January 2020 Kiernan Hughes-Mason called paramedics when he claimed the girl had fallen on a dollhouse, leaving her conscious but unresponsive.

The East of England Ambulance Service arrived within nine minutes of the call and rushed the child to Southend General Hospital.

Her injuries were so severe she was placed in an induced coma and taken to Great Ormond Street Hospital for further treatment.

Doctors identified 17 different injuries to her legs, back face and chest, believed to have occurred between October 2019 and the assault in January 2020, when she was taken to hospital.

She remained in a coma for 14 days and suffered life-changing brain injuries which means she needs 24-hour care.
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Hughes-Mason, 28 at the time of the incident, of Ramuz Drive, Westcliff-on-Sea, was arrested on 14 February 2020 in connection with the incident.

He was released on bail while our officers collected more than a dozen statements and reports from eight medical practitioners and experts while building this case, as well as seizing Hughes-Mason phone and analysing the messages he sent.

In the days leading up to the incident, Hughes-Mason sent multiple messages to others stating: "She’s actually getting on my nerves", and "I’m gonna hit her".

After almost three years' work, the Crown Prosecution service agreed to charge Hughes-Mason with causing grievous bodily harm with intent and child cruelty.

A three-week trial at Basildon Crown Court began on 5 August, and on Wednesday 21 August, after five hours of deliberation, the jury found Hughes-Mason guilty of both charges.

 

'The defendant inflicted these injuries deliberately'

The prosecution barrister made a damning case of Hughes-Mason’s actions as they closed their case, saying:

“The experts are all unanimously of the view that the child’s devastating head and brain injuries could not have been caused accidentally.
“In respect of the head and brain injury that the child suffered… the experts all agree that the pattern of injuries found is consistent with the child having been vigorously shaken… with her head likely being hit against a hard surface.
“The only explanation for the pattern of injuries suffered by the child was that they were inflicted by this defendant and inflicted deliberately.”

 

'He has been held accountable for what he did'

The family of the victim said after today’s hearing:

“We finally have a verdict and [Hughes-Mason] is now held accountable for what he did to our little girl.
“We have had to go through what no family should ever have to experience, and our girl is going to bear the consequences of what he has done to her for the rest of her life”.

After the conviction Detective Sergeant Ellie Nudd, of our Child Abuse Investigation Team, said:

“Hughes-Mason refused to admit what he had done and subject the family of this little girl to weeks of details of the injuries he allowed or inflicted.
“Her family have attended court and have shown nothing but dignity and strength. I cannot commend their conduct throughout this trial highly enough while they live the impact of his actions.
“I’d also like to thank all the officers across the Child abuse Investigation Team who was involved in this case, this was a challenging and complex investigation with multiple officers and detectives working tirelessly over the last four years to make sure this case was as strong as possible.
“This conviction is important. Hughes-Mason denied responsibility for all of the child’s injuries, pointing the finger at others or blaming them on accidents. This little girl will never recover from the injuries she sustained from this violent attack.
“The doctor’s were clear about the extent of the injuries – they were equivalent to a high-speed crash, and would have to be the result of a violent assault.
“We now await his sentencing.”