Father messaged ‘nailed it’ to friend hours after his 2-year-old son was sprayed with sulphuric acid, court hears

'Cowardly' strike was organised as part of a bitter custody battle with his ex-wife, jurors told

The father of a three-year-old boy who was sprayed in the face with sulphuric acid sent a GIF to another defendant hours after the attack reading "Nailed It", a court heard.

The 40-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, sent the image to co-defendant Jabar Pakita, 41, after his son was injured on 21 July last year.

The boy screamed out in agony after being covered in the substance by Adam Cech, 27, as he shopped for a birthday present with his mum at a Home Bargains store in Worcester, jurors were told. He was rushed to hospital after he was targeted.

Worcester Crown Court heard the "cowardly" attack was organised by the boy's father as part of a bitter custody battle with his ex-wife.

Jurors heard that after the incident he sent a "sticker" image to a friend showing a blonde woman wearing an apron with the caption: "Nailed It".

The three-year-old screamed in agony after he was hit with substance as he shopped with his mother. (Helen Tipper / SWNS.com)

The father from Wolverhampton, is on trial with alongside five men and a woman charged with conspiring to unlawfully or maliciously cast or throw sulphuric acid with intent to burn, maim, disfigure, or disable or cause grievous bodily harm.

Mr Cech, Jan Dudi, 25 and Martina Badiova, 22, all of Handsworth along with 22-year-old Norbert Pulko of Tottenham, North London, Saied Hussini, 41, of Harlsden, West London, and Mr Paktia, of Wolverhampton, deny the charges.

Prosecutor Jonathan Rees QC showed a map of Mr Cech, Mr Dudi and Mr Pulko's movements on the day of the attack to the jury of seven women and five men.

He also described messages sent by Mr Pulko to another person, in which he admits "I done it all". He added 'I'm stupid, I know I'm going for a minimum of 15 years".

Mr Rees said: "The father had sent Paktia an image of a deer comforting a fox with it's head in it's hands and a follow up message of a woman with the caption 'nailed it' at 9.15pm. Over a period of time, Cech, Dudi and Pulko's movements show them travelling from Birmingham in the morning. Other images recovered from Paktia's phone revealed meetings and the three defendants entering Home Bargains.

"The route taken by the mother and the trio were all captured by CCTV. It also captures the three defendants following the mother and her children into the Home Bargains just a minute apart. In the early hours of the following Sunday morning at around midnight to 1am there was contact between Badiova, Cech, Dudi, and Pulko. At 2.28am on the Sunday, July 22 the father was arrested.

"The interrogation of Pulko's mobile handset threw up some of the internet history which shows he accessed news websites regarding articles about the incident at Home Bargains. Badiova's handset was used to access google translate and translate articles relating to the incident in Home Bargains.

"Pulko had accessed a site called www.busbud.com which is transport between London and Bratislava. Pulko messages someone on Sunday, July 22: 'Mum's good? Just thinking about you and Mum'. The person replies 'Why did you do this?'

"Pulko said: 'I'm stupid, I know I'm going for a minimum of 15 years.' If I go I'm going to kill myself before they get me.

The trial continues.

SWNS