Zack Hughes jailed for at least 20 years for murdering pregnant Sarah Montgomery
Zack Hughes has been sentenced to at least 20 years in prison for murdering pregnant Sarah Montgomery and for child destruction.
How it was covered
- BBC One was the only channel found covering it, concentrating on the sentencing, the judge's remarks and the phone recording of the murder.
- Channel 5, BBC News, BBC Two, Channel 4, GB News, ITV and Sky News: not found in tracked broadcasts.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
BBC One West reported that Zack Hughes has been sentenced to at least 20 years in prison for murdering Sarah Montgomery, the pregnant mother of his two children, and for child destruction.
The report said Montgomery was 27 years old and 32 weeks pregnant when Hughes killed her in her own home in Donaghadee, County Down. The pair had been in an on-off relationship. She had confronted Hughes after finding out that his fiancée was also pregnant.
BBC One West reported that the conversation and the murder were recorded on Montgomery's phone. The court heard that the final 24 seconds of the recording were of her screaming and pleading with Hughes as he attacked her. The report said the murder weapon was a water bottle Hughes had received as a Father's Day gift.
BBC One West reported that, during sentencing, the judge told Hughes, who is from Belfast, that he had committed a brutal and completely unjustified murder. The judge said Hughes continued to strike Montgomery at least 59 times until he killed her and her unborn baby.
The report said police outside Belfast Crown Court described Montgomery as a loving mother who had everything to live for.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| Sarah Montgomery, aged 27 and 32 weeks pregnant, was killed in her own home in Donaghadee, County Down. | |
| The judge said Hughes struck Montgomery at least 59 times, killing her and her unborn baby. | |
| Zack Hughes was sentenced to at least 20 years in prison for murder and child destruction. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC One West's lunchtime regional bulletin treated the case as a major local court story and led with the sentence. It gave distressing detail from the phone recording and the judge's remarks, then closed with police reaction outside Belfast Crown Court. The tone was sombre and factual, with no other voices or wider domestic violence context.
- “A man who beat the pregnant mother of his two children to death has been jailed for a minimum of 20 years”
- “the last 24 seconds Of that recording were of Sarah Montgomery screaming and pleading with zack hughes as he attacked her”
- “You continued to strike her at least 59 times until you killed her and her unborn baby.”
Who was on air
People and organisations each channel put on air while covering this story. Channels' own presenters and reporters are not listed. Names as transcribed, and the list can miss people.
- 13:17 GMT
Sarah Montgomery, 27 years old and 32 weeks pregnant
BBC News at One including · Fri 6 Nov
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.