Zak Hughes has been convicted of the murder of Sarah Montgomery, the heavily pregnant mother of his two children, in her flat in Donaghadee, Northern Ireland, last year. The 29-year-old, of Ardglen Place in the Ardoyne area of north Belfast, pleaded guilty earlier this year at Belfast Crown Court to the murder of Ms Montgomery and child destruction.
During a sentencing hearing on Friday, the prosecution said the case "must be viewed as one of the worst cases of domestic violence in recent times". The court heard that Hughes used a water bottle that Ms Montgomery had bought him as a Father's Day present from their two children as one of the weapons in the attack.
Attack Lasted 19 Minutes
Belfast Crown Court heard that Hughes attacked Ms Montgomery after she confronted him about lying to her regarding his fiancee's pregnancy. A recording of the attack captured her screams as he launched the assault, which was estimated to have lasted 19 minutes. A post-mortem indicated at least 59 applications of blunt trauma, and that she died following a "sustained blunt force trauma attack".
Hughes sat in the dock wearing a white T-shirt and glasses staring ahead, while family and friends of Ms Montgomery watched on in the public gallery behind him. The prosecution set out how the evidence included a recording of the attack on Ms Montgomery's phone, CCTV and witness statements, as well as an admission of guilt by Hughes.
Background of the Relationship
The court heard that Hughes, a personal trainer at a gym in Belfast, and Ms Montgomery, a trained beautician, first met when they both attended Glastry College school, and started a relationship. This was described as having "faltered" and became "on and off" following the birth of their first child. He went on to deny being the father of their second child, but was proven to be the father by a DNA test.
Ms Montgomery had been 32 weeks pregnant when she died, and had been expecting her son who she had named Liam Arthur in August. Hughes was described in June 2025 as living with his fiancee in Belfast, who was also pregnant, but playing a role in his children's lives, collecting them every Friday for the weekend.
Events on the Day of the Murder
On Friday June 27, 2025, Hughes arrived at Ms Montgomery's flat to pick up one of their children for his usual weekend with them. The child was seen on CCTV walking to the car, and sitting waiting for their father. Inside the flat, Hughes struck Ms Montgomery in what the prosecution described as a "cold blooded, systematic, murderous attack" which lasted 19 minutes.
He then took her mobile phone, locked the door and left to pick up their other child from a local primary school and head to Belfast. The prosecution pointed out his actions closed down any possibility she might have been able to get help if she had survived, or someone finding her in time to potentially save her or her unborn child.
Hughes made several stops on his route, including stopping at Primark in Newtownards, buying a new outfit and getting changed, dumping Ms Montgomery's phone and keys in one location and his bloodied clothes and water bottle at another location. Hughes even went on to text Ms Montgomery twice, and later attended a baby shower for his fiancee.
Discovery and Sentencing
Her grandfather found her the following day lying on her side, face down and covered in blood. The court heard efforts were made to revive her, but she was described as cold and stiff. Hughes was arrested on Sunday, and initially denied his involvement, before later changing his story and admitting what he had done.
A defence lawyer said they accepted there is nothing they can say in any way that can take away from this horrific case. He highlighted the guilty plea by his client, and the speed with which the case has been able to be dealt with as a result. During a hearing in June, Madam Justice McBride indicated that, in light of the pleas, the only sentence she could impose was that of a life sentence.
Lady Justice McBride said she will take some time to reflect on submissions before setting a tariff. There is set to be a review hearing next Friday.
