A former skilled footballer has been convicted of violently assaulting a two-year-old lady, leaving her with “life-changing” accidents that require 24-hour care.

Kiernan Hughes-Mason, 32, was discovered responsible of inflicting grievous bodily hurt with intent and baby cruelty after his ex-partner’s daughter was discovered with severe accidents at an deal with in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, in January 2020.

Throughout the trial, the prosecution barrister stated one physician in contrast the kid’s accidents to a “high-speed highway visitors accident” or a “fall from a considerable peak of a number of storeys”.

Hughes-Mason claimed he heard a loud bang from the lady’s bed room and believed she had fallen on a dollhouse, leaving her acutely aware however unresponsive whereas in his care on 31 January 2020.

The lady was taken to Southend Hospital, however her accidents have been so extreme she was positioned in an induced coma and brought to Nice Ormond Road Hospital for additional remedy.

Medics discovered 17 totally different accidents to her face, chest, again and legs, that are believed to have been sustained between October 2019 and January 2020.

The toddler remained in a coma for 14 days and suffered life-changing mind accidents.

Hughes-Mason, who was 28 on the time of the assault, was arrested on 14 February 2020.

Investigators discovered that, within the days main as much as the assault, he despatched textual content messages which stated how indignant caring for his then associate’s daughter made him, saying: “She’s truly getting on my nerves” and “I am gonna hit her”.

After a three-week trial, Hughes-Mason was discovered responsible of each expenses following 5 hours of deliberation by the jury.

The household of the sufferer stated after the conviction: “We lastly have a verdict and that man is now held accountable for what he did to our little lady.

“We have now needed to undergo what no household ought to ever should expertise, and our lady goes to bear the results of what he has carried out to her for the remainder of her life.”

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Throughout the trial, the prosecution stated Hughes-Mason was “eager from the outset to painting himself to the police because the doting stepfather who handled the youngsters as his personal, saying how a lot he beloved them.

“But in his textual content messages written on the time, he always referred to them as ‘your youngsters,’ or ‘your baby’ to the kid’s mom. He often belittled them, talked about them as in the event that they have been silly and put them down.

“In respect of the top and mind harm that the kid suffered… the specialists all agree that the sample of accidents discovered is according to the kid having been vigorously shaken… along with her head doubtless being hit towards a tough floor.

“The one clarification for the sample of accidents suffered by the kid was that they have been inflicted by this defendant and inflicted intentionally.”

Hughes-Mason began out his profession at Championship facet Millwall, earlier than enjoying for a number of English Soccer League and non-league golf equipment together with Welling United, Leatherhead and extra lately managing Enfield Borough.

Enfield Borough stated that they had fired Mason-Hughes as supervisor “in mild of current revelations concerning severe authorized issues from [his] previous, which weren’t disclosed in the course of the hiring course of”.

In the meantime, Hashtag United, the place Hughes-Mason was a reserve staff supervisor and ex-player, stated his conviction was “deeply stunning” and the crimes have been “frankly sickening”.

“We are able to categorically say that the membership had no information in anyway of those occasions till as we speak. We’re instructed that the crimes he has now been discovered responsible of occurred earlier than he joined us.

“Some severe flaws have been uncovered in procedures as we would acquired affirmation from the related authorities that he was clear to teach as a part of commonplace background checks.”

The membership additionally expressed its sympathy with the sufferer and her household, saying: “We will not presumably think about what they’ve been going via since these horrific occasions came about.”

Hughes-Mason might be sentenced on 10 September at Basildon Crown Courtroom.