AN Ardoyne man who beat a pregnant mother-of-two to death has been jailed for a minimum of 20 years in jail.
Sarah Montgomery (27) was 32 weeks pregnant when she was murdered by Zak Hughes, with whom she had been in a relationship, in her flat in Donaghadee in June 2025.
He was the father of Sarah's two children, girls aged five and seven and the unborn child.
Hughes (29), from Ardglen Place in Ardoyne pleaded guilty to both charges in June 2026.
Zak Hughes
Judge Madam Justice McBride told Hughes he was guilty of the "brutal, completely unjustified murder of a defenceless, heavily pregnant mother".
"When she screamed out for mercy, you continued to strike her at least 59 times until you killed her and her unborn child," she said.
"Sarah's children now have to live with the devastating impact of losing their mother, knowing that their mother was murdered by you, their own father.
Judge McBride said that the murder was "yet another femicide" in Northern Ireland.
PSNI Det Sgt Jennifer Stevenson said Sarah had "everything to live for".
She described her as a loving mother who was "at the heart of a caring family whose lives will never be the same again".
"The brutality of the defendant's actions was matched by his deceit," she said.
"Today, Zak Hughes has been held accountable and will now face the consequences of his actions.
"A loving family have been left with unimaginable and endless heartache."
