A SUSPECT talked about going to France in the aftermath of an acid attack on a three-year-old boy inside a Worcester shop, fearing he would be jailed for 10 years.

More detail has emerged about how defendants reacted in the wake of an alleged acid attack in Home Bargains as one of the accused wrote to a girlfriend: "I don't know what to do baby."

CCTV has already been played to the jury which shows one of the defendants, Adam Cech, squirting a fluid identified as sulphuric acid over the boy. CCTV Images of the suspects in the shop - Cech, Norbert Pulko and Jan Dudi - were circulated to the media the next morning although the driving force behind the alleged attack is said by the prosecution to be the boy's father following a row over child custody and access arrangements.

All seven defendants, including the boy's father, deny conspiracy to apply a corrosive fluid with intent to burn, maim, disfigure or disable the said minor or to do him grievous bodily.

A series of messages were read out to the jury in the ongoing acid attack trial at Worcester Crown Court after the boy suffered chemical burns to his left forearm and forehead at the shop in the Shrub Hill Retail Park in Tallow Hill at 2.16pm on Saturday, July 21 last year. A medical expert has estimated the acid to be at a concentration of between 10 and 30 per cent and a PH of one.

Jan Dudi, one of the alleged conspirators, discussed leaving the UK for France in a series of message read out to the jury of six men and six women. In one of the messages on July 23 last year, two days after the alleged acid attack, the 25-year-old wrote: "We have to go away bro as I do not want to go to prison bro, that's too long bro."

A woman named Marianna Billa messages Dudi telling him that if challenged he should say he was on his 'holidays'. She messaged him 'don't be scared' and added: "You can't stay here."

Dudi wrote: "I miss you. Forgive me for everything love. I don't know what to do baby. Forgive me love. I love you very much."

The jury also heard about further connections between the defendants. Cech and Dudi worked together at Oliver James Foods in Redditch and were seen associating together by other staff at break times. One of the defendants, Martina Badiova, worked at Rainbow Casino in Birmingham at the time of the alleged conspiracy. Cech, Norbert Pulko and Dudi were all members of the same casino. Cech and Dudi both had life membership and Pulko had a guest membership.

Pulko, Cech and Dudi were arrested at the same address - Headbourne House, Sutherland Road, Walthamstow, East London - after police arrived there at 2.28am on July 22 last year. All three were taken to Bethnal Green Police Station.

Messages were also read into the record between Pulko and Dudi before the alleged acid attack. In one of the messages Pulko writes: "We need money."

Will Martin, prosecuting, said two cigarette butts were found on July 23 last year, two days after the attack at Home Bargains.

The butts were found near the home of the boy who suffered the alleged attack. DNA analysis linked both to Pulko.

A third butt was also found nearby and biological and cellular material on the butt could be linked to Cech, the man accused of squirting the boy with the sulphuric acid.

All seven defendants have no previous convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings in the UK or abroad as adults although Pulko has a youth police caution for being drunk and disorderly in a public place and a warning for threatening, abusive words or behaviour and a further caution for criminal damage.

When the father of the boy, a 40-year-old Afghan, was arrested police found what Mr Martin described as a 'doctored photograph' of his three-year-old son with an 'enhanced bruise'.

Police also found in Alcatel mobile phone which became active on June 24 last year which only made contact with three other mobile phones all attributed to three of his co-defendants - Saied Hussini, Jabar Paktia and Norbert Pulko.

The trial continues.