Former professional footballer Kiernan Hughes-Mason, 32, has been convicted of violently assaulting a two-year-old girl, causing grievous bodily harm with intent and child cruelty. The brutal attack left the young girl with severe, life-changing injuries that now require 24-hour care. Hughes-Mason, who was 28 at the time, was caring for his then-partner’s daughter when the incident occurred in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, in January 2020.
During the trial, the court heard that the girl’s injuries were so severe that one doctor compared them to the trauma typically seen in a “high-speed road traffic accident” or a “fall from a substantial height.” The toddler was found with 17 injuries across her face, chest, back, and legs, injuries that doctors believe were inflicted between October 2019 and January 2020.
Hughes-Mason claimed that the child had fallen on a dollhouse, leaving her conscious but unresponsive. However, medical experts testified that her injuries were consistent with vigorous shaking and being struck against a hard surface. The child was taken to Southend Hospital but had to be transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital due to the severity of her injuries. She remained in a coma for 14 days and suffered permanent brain damage.
Hughes-Mason was arrested on 14 February 2020. Text messages revealed during the trial showed that, in the days leading up to the assault, Hughes-Mason expressed frustration and anger about caring for the child, telling his then-partner, “She’s actually getting on my nerves” and “I’m gonna hit her.”
After a three-week trial and five hours of jury deliberation, Hughes-Mason was found guilty of both grievous bodily harm with intent and child cruelty. The jury’s decision has brought a sense of justice to the victim’s family, who issued a statement following the conviction: “We finally have a verdict, and that man 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.
Hughes-Mason started his football career at Championship club Millwall before playing for several English Football League and non-league clubs, including Welling United and Leatherhead. He more recently managed Enfield Borough, who have since fired him, stating that they were unaware of the serious legal matters from his past when he was hired. Hashtag United, where Hughes-Mason had served as a reserve team manager and former player, also expressed their shock and condemned the crimes as “frankly sickening.”
Hughes-Mason is scheduled to be sentenced on 10 September at Basildon Crown Court.
