Belfast Domestic Murder Guilty Plea
Belfast Man Admits Guilt in Brutal Murder of Pregnant Mother of Two
Anonymous
Zak Hughes, 29, pleaded guilty to murdering Sarah Montgomery, 27, and destroying their unborn child after beating the heavily pregnant mother of two at her Donaghadee home last year. One of their young children was in a car nearby. Belfast Crown Court heard the attack lasted about 19 minutes and caused at least 59 blunt-force injuries; prosecutors called it one of the worst recent cases of domestic violence. Hughes attacked Montgomery after she confronted him about a lie concerning his fiancée’s pregnancy, and the judge said femicide is a real issue in the jurisdiction. The court indicated that Hughes would receive a life sentence.
Key Points
1
One of the weapons used in the attack was a water bottle Montgomery had given Hughes as a Father’s Day present from their children.
2
Prosecutors said the evidence included a recording of the attack on Montgomery’s phone, CCTV, witness statements and Hughes’s admission of guilt.
3
The court heard Hughes worked as a personal trainer at a Belfast gym and Montgomery was a trained beautician; they had first met while attending Glastry College.
4
During sentencing, the case was compared with the 2022 murder of Natalie McNally by Stephen McCullagh, who killed his pregnant partner in her home in Lurgan.
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