A man has been jailed for 36 years for the attempted murder of a young child.
Zach Hughes, 27, attacked the child - whose name and age are being protected by the courts - on July 12 last year. Hughes met up with the child and a woman before they travelled together to Brentwood, Essex.
As the car was being parked, Hughes reached inside the vehicle and attacked the woman and child. They were treated at the scene by paramedics and taken to hospital.
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Hughes, of Romford, was arrested the following day and charged with attempted murder, causing grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.
On March 9, a judge at Basildon Crown Court accepted Hughes’ guilty pleas to all three charges. At the same court on Friday (May 6), Hughes was sentenced to 23 years in prison.
DI Brian Palombella, of Essex Police, said: “This has been an extremely sensitive and distressing case not only for the lead investigating officer - DC Emily Hulme - and my teams, but also those who attended the incident. I would like to offer my sincere thanks to the first responders and members of the public whose actions were vital in what were clearly very traumatizing circumstances, and the sentencing today clearly reflects that impact.”
Essex Police has said it will release no further details in relation to this case.
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