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A former footballer has been branded a “violent coward” by the mother of a two-year-old girl he attacked so viciously she developed epilepsy and must now eat and drink through a tube.
Kiernan Hughes-Mason inflicted injuries doctors likened to those caused by a high-speed road traffic accident on the toddler during an assault in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, in January 2020.
The 32-year-old, who played for EFL sides Millwall and Grimsby Town, as well as a string of non-league clubs including Welling United, Hashtag United and Leatherhead, was sentenced to a total of 14 years in prison at Basildon Crown Court on Wednesday.
In January 2020, Hughes-Mason called 999 while he was supposed to be looking after his then-partner’s young daughter.
He claimed that he heard a loud bang from upstairs, which he believed was the child falling onto a dollhouse, and that she was unresponsive but conscious.
The child was rushed to Southend General Hospital but her injuries were deemed so severe that she was induced into a coma and transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital for further treatment.
Prosecutors said doctors went on to describe the child’s injuries as comparable to those sustained in a high-speed road traffic accident or a fall from a height of several storeys.
The girl suffered life-changing brain injuries, along with 17 different injuries to her legs, back, face, and chest – all of which were believed to have been inflicted between October 2019 and the day she was taken into hospital. She now requires round-the-clock care.
Speaking after today’s sentencing, the victim’s mother and her family recalled the day their “whole world was blown apart”.
They said in a statement: “Our daughter, our niece, our granddaughter has been left with significant physical and mental disabilities that will impact her for the rest of her life.
“She cannot sit, stand or walk independently, requiring a hoist to move her.
“As a result of her injuries, she suffers with constant pain that needs to be managed daily.
“The brain damage caused has affected her communication, she cannot even tell us where her pain is or what upsets her.
“She is now epileptic, suffers with sleep disorders, struggles to eat and cannot drink – she is tube-fed for all her hydration and nutritional needs.
“Despite all this, we still see her personality shine through every day. In the midst of the pain she constantly faces, she brightens the darkest days.
“We will continue our best to ensure that she can live each day to the full as best she can. We love her more than anything else in this world.”
They added: “We are thankful that today some form of justice has been achieved. However, this sentence does not compare to the life sentence our little girl now has.
“We mourn all the experiences we would have shared with her, that were taken from her by a violent coward, and we celebrate every day we still get to share with our beautiful young girl.”
A three-year police investigation into the attack involved the collection of over a dozen statements and reports from eight medical practitioners and experts, along with the seizure of Hughes-Mason’s phone.
In messages on the device, Hughes-Mason described how his now ex-partner’s two-year-old daughter made him angry, saying “she’s actually getting on my nerves” and “I’m gonna hit her”.
Hughes-Mason had a 15-year career in football and was on the books of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur as a youth player. He had been serving as manager of Enfield Borough in the tenth tier of English football, until he was immediately sacked following his conviction.
DS Ellie Nudd, of Essex Police’s child abuse investigation team, said: “Hughes-Mason lied to 999 call handlers, paramedics, police officers and hospital staff on the day of the incident, immediately trying to cover up his attack.
“He can only be described as a coward.
“Most of all our thoughts are with an immensely brave girl and her family who have worked with us to make sure justice was done. Our county is a safer place now that Hughes-Mason is behind bars.”
DS Nudd added: “The girl’s family have shown incredible strength to listen to this trial unfold, and their testimonies on Hughes-Mason have all contributed to this sentencing.”
