HOW DID HE GET TO PLAY ON?

CHARGED PLAYER/BOSS PASSED CHECKS

- Andy Mitchell

CLUBS have been left reeling after it emerged a player and manager had continued in the game for four years while under investigation for leaving a two-year-old child with life-changing brain injuries.

On Wednesday, Kiernan Hughes-Mason, 32, of Westcliffon-Sea, Essex, was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and child cruelty to his then-stepdaughter.

During the three-week trial, Basildon Crown Court heard how her injuries, sustained in January 2020, had been consistent with those seen in highspeed traffic collisions or a fall from several storeys.

Essex Police confirmed that Hughes-Mason had been arrested on February 14, 2020, and that he had been released under standard bail conditions the following day.