A THREE-YEAR-OLD boy who was burned in an acid attack allegedly plotted by his father screamed "I hurt" over and over again after being struck, a court has heard today.

The toddler, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, suffered serious burns to his face and arm at the Home Bargains store in Worcester on July 21 last year, during a custody row triggered by his dad.

2 A toddler was burned in an acid attack allegedly plotted by his father Credit: PA:Press Association

The 40-year-old father was said to have enlisted six people to help to manufacture evidence that showed his estranged wife could not keep their children safe.

He is charged with conspiring to unlawfully or maliciously cast or throw sulphuric acid on or at the boy between June 1 and July 22, with intent to burn, maim, disfigure or disable the minor, or do grievous bodily harm to him.

Facing the same charge are Adam Cech, 27 and Jan Dudi, 25, both from Birmingham; Norbert Pulko, 22, and Saied Hussini, 42, from London; Martina Badiova, 22, of Handsworth; and Jabar Paktia, 42, of Wolverhampton.

They all deny the allegation.



ACID ATTACK IN HOME BARGAINS

Jonathan Rees QC, prosecuting, told Worcester Crown Court the incident was caught on Home Bargains' CCTV, before showing the footage to jurors.

The mum of the boy had driven to the store with her children at about 2pm to buy a party gift.

Roadside CCTV showed she was followed by a Vauxhall Vectra, allegedly containing Cech, Dudi and Pulko.

At 2.13pm she and the children went inside the store, followed shortly after by the three men, with shop CCTV showing Cech approaching the boy who was standing with his brother.

The boys were both gazing at a brightly coloured display of plastic footballs at the end of an aisle.

At that point a man in a white T-shirt, identified without dispute in court as Cech, walked past the boy with his arm extended and an object in his hand.

As Cech exited the frame, the three-year-old could be seen looking quickly back towards him before sprinting to his mother nearby.

THE BOY SCREAMED OUT 'I HURT, I HURT, I HURT'

Mr Rees told jurors: "That is the acid attack. It is over in a split second.

"You have, in shot, Mr Cech - there's no dispute of that - extending his arm, out towards the child."

The boy could then be seen in distress, being comforted by his mother and siblings.

Mr Rees said: "His mother was a short distance away as the attack is carried out, and the sister heard the victim scream out, 'I hurt, I hurt, I hurt'.

"He was shouting and crying and ran towards his mother holding his left arm. He showed his mother his arm but, at first, she could not see anything.

"His eyes were closed and his mother was concerned that something may have spilt on him.

"She went to check the area near the football display but could not see anything on which he could have hurt himself."

He added: "The three males left the store within moments of each other."

The boy suffered a 10cm burn to his left forearm, and a 3cm burn on his forehead, which needed specialist hospital treatment.

The youngster has since made "a good recovery", Mr Rees added.

EARLIER ACID ATTACK 'ABORTED'

Mr Rees earlier told the court there had been an "aborted attempt", eight days before the attack, near a school.

He said there was a plan for Pulko to "squirt acid" on the child but he pulled out because there were too many people around.

The Crown said the child's father was "updated" by phone two minutes later about the attempt by Pulko and Paktia.

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An eagle-eyed neighbour reported two men and a woman hanging around in a black Vauxhall Astra near the school but officers "weren't able to attend immediately before the Astra and its three occupants left, as it was not deemed to be an emergency".

Mr Rees said it was alleged the man was the "tattooed" Pulko, with Hussini in the driver's seat, and Badiova walking "back and forth" between the car and school, acting as a "lookout".

The trial, estimated to last six weeks, will hear evidence from the victim's mother later today.

2 The boy's face and arm were burned when he was squirted with sulphuric acid at Home Bargains

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