A CONSPIRATOR has already been assaulted three times in prison because of his role in a 'sickening' plot to attack a three-year-old boy with acid.

The father of the child and his five co-conspirators were jailed for 78 years at Worcester Crown Court on Wednesday following the acid attack on the boy in Home Bargains, Worcester.

The child's 40-year-old father was jailed for 16 years for orchestrating the attack. Saied Hussini, 43, who recruited his 22-year-old 'son' and 'protege' Norbert Pulko into the conspiracy, was jailed for 14 years. The remaining conspirators - Adam Cech, 27, who squirted the acid, Norbert Pulko and 42-year-old Jabar Paktia - were jailed for 12 years each following the attack on July 21 last year.

Balraj Bhatia, for Paktia, said the married father-of-four had already been attacked in prison since his arrest just two days after the attack.

He said: "He has been attacked on three separate occasions in custody, receiving significant injuries as a result. He accepts he has been injured and may continue to be injured."

Judge Robert Juckes QC described the case as 'unique' and added: "I have never come across a case in which there are so many people involved in targeting a child."

Meanwhile Worcester's MP Robin Walker welcomed the long prison sentences handed out for what he called an 'appalling' attack. However, the MP stressed that despite the attack taking place in Worcester none of the conspirators were from the city and that it remained a safe place to live.

Robin Walker's initial, horrified reaction to the attack was quoted by judge Juckes QC who said it had summed up the city's mood at the time. The judge, who branded the attack 'sickening' and 'monstrous', said: "It has already been noted in this trial that when news of this attack broke our local member of Parliament, Robin Walker, spoke for the community when he said 'the shock was universal. Anyone conducing such an attack on a small child is just appalling'."

The Worcester MP, speaking after the sentence, said he was pleased that the judge had 'pushed it to the top of the sentencing guidelines' and that the sentences 'reflected the appalling nature of the crime'.

He also said the case was a 'huge credit' to West Mercia Police to join up the different strands of the case.

The jury was shown CCTV footage, presented with mobile phone evidence including the content of text and WhatsApp messages, medical evidence about the child's injuries and heard from live witnesses including five of the defendants, witnesses and data analysts.

The child's mother also gave evidence via videolink.

It was perhaps a measure of the complexity of the case and the painstaking nature of the investigation that the jury who had been sitting in the trial for more than six weeks was told by the judge that they were exempted from jury service for 20 years.

Mr Walker said the attack had brought focus to Worcester but stressed that none of the conspirators were from the city.

Mr Walker added: "People should be reassured that this is not something they need to worry about day in and day out in Worcester. Worcester is a safe place where there are relatively low levels of crime."

An NSPCC spokesman said: “It is difficult to comprehend how a father could be involved in such a horrific attack on his defenceless three-year-old son, when he should have been protecting the child from harm.

“We would urge anyone concerned about a child’s welfare to speak out."

Those with concerns for the welfare of a child can contact the NSPCC Helpline in confidence on 0808 800 5000.