WARNING, DISTRESSING CONTENT: Zak Hughes murdered Sarah Montgomery, the heavily pregnant mother of his two children, at her flat last year before visiting Primark to buy a new outfit
A pregnant woman murdered by the father of her two children was killed using a gift she had bought him for Father’s Day.
The horrific killing, described in court as one of the “worst cases of domestic violence in recent times”, saw Zak Hughes subject Sarah Montgomery, 27, to a violent barrage of attacks in one 19-minute window, which saw her suffer 59 applications of blunt force trauma inside a flat in Donaghadee, Northern Ireland, last year, while her two children sat in a nearby car.
Prior to the attack, Montgomery was described as having confronted her would be killer over his new fiancée’s pregnancy, as per The Daily Mirror. Hughes, 29, pleaded guilty to her murder and to a charge of child destruction in June 2026.
Belfast Crown Court heard how one of the objects used in the shocking assault was a water bottle given to Hughes by Montgomery on behalf of their children for Father’s Day.
Montgomery, a trained beautician, met gym instructor Hughes while the two were studying at Glastry College school, with the pair entering a relationship which lead to the birth of their first child.
The court heard how this “on-and-off” relationship “faltered”, with Hughes denying that Montgomery’s second child was his, something disproven using a DNA test.
Since the birth of their second child, Hughes entered into another relationship, becoming engaged. At the time of the murder, Hughes’ new partner was also heavily pregnant. The court heard how he had lied to Montgomery about how the baby had died in a car accident. When she challenged him, Hughes requested the pair talk about the issue in person.
Once inside her flat, Hughes launched into what the prosecution called “cold blooded, systematic, murderous attack.” Tragically, both her and her unborn child died. After committing the murder, he then took Montgomery’s phone, locked the door and went to go pick up their child from primary school.
The killer would go on to make several stops on route, including buying a new outfit from Primark, and dumping his victim’s phone, keys and bloodied clothes.
Montgomery’s body was discovered lying face down at her apartment by her grandfather.
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.
There is set to be a review hearing next Friday.