Father put pins in sons' tongues

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A father has been found guilty of wounding his two children by putting pins through their tongues and lips.

A jury at Bradford Crown Court found the Nigerian-born father guilty of three counts of unlawful wounding and six of cruelty to his two sons.

The boys' mother was also found guilty of two counts of cruelty by wilfully failing to protect her sons.

It was alleged the father told the boys he inflicted the injuries because God had his tongue cut off in the Bible.

The couple from Bradford, who cannot be named for legal reasons, will be sentenced later.

The jury is still considering verdicts on three further counts of cruelty and will continue its deliberations on Wednesday.

Mother 'watched'

The father was charged with three counts of unlawful wounding and eight counts of cruelty between September 2003 and February 2005, while the mother was charged with three counts of cruelty during the same period.

At the 10-week trial, the jury was told the father would put clothes pegs on the children's lips and tongues.

The court also heard he cut their mouths with scalpel blades.

He was also accused of pressing the tongue of one of the children with sharp pliers until it bled and swelled.

It was alleged he would then stitch up the wounds with a medical kit.

The jury heard the mother of the boys would watch, or turn a blind eye, as their father carried out the attacks at their home.

Both denied all the charges.