Evil couple who beat and neglected daughters in 21-year-long reign of terror jailed

A cruel Scots couple have been jailed for relentlessly assaulting and neglecting their daughters in a 21-year-long "reign of terror".

Sharon and Charles Hughes beat and starved the kids, who are now adults, and prevented two of them from washing during a shocking campaign of abuse.

One of the children was repeatedly spun around a room by her hair.

Charles, 53, would also repeatedly hit one of them with a belt.

He also strangled his youngest daughter, and her mum dragged her along the ground by the hair.

Sharon, 48, would regularly dig her long nails into their skin, with the kids running away and hiding to avoid the abuse, which they grew up believing was normal.

They were jailed over their crimes on Friday and banned from having any contact with their children for the next 10 years.

The abuse was so bad their kids now bear the mental scars from their childhood, all suffering from mental health problems.

The eldest of the girls, now 31, was regularly punched and slapped on the head and body, grabbed by the hair and kicked on the body by Sharon.

She was also regularly punched and slapped on the head and body and hit with a belt by Charles, between 2000 and 2008.

Between 2005 and 2015 their second victim, now 27, was regularly struck, punched, kicked and scratched and grabbed and dragged by the hair by her mum.

The abuse at her dad's hands saw him regularly raining blows on her head and body and hitting her with a belt.

Between 2014 and 2021 Charles struck their youngest daughter on the head and body, grabbed her by the neck, lifted her by the neck and restricted her breathing.

Sharon rained blows on her head and body, kicked, scratched and grabbed her, and dragged her along the ground by the hair.

At the family's homes in Paisley, Renfrewshire, they also neglected the girls by failing to provide them with adequate food and clothing and prevented two of them from washing.

They denied mistreating the girls, forcing them to give evidence at a trial at Paisley Sheriff Court.

They returned to the dock on Friday, December 5, 2025, to learn their fate, having been convicted last month of six charges each - one of assault and one of neglect in relation to each girl.

Sheriff Gillian Craig said: "The abuse was so regular and prolific I can't do justice to it. It was six nights out of seven.

"They thought what was going on was normal. You chose to act as you did.

"There can be no greater position of trust than parents looking after their own children.

"You have shown no empathy for your daughters. The attacks were repeated and sustained. Only a custodial sentence is appropriate."

Sharon was jailed for four years, backdated to last month, when she was first remanded in custody.

As she sentenced Sharon, Sheriff Craig said: "You were by far the greatest instigator and perpetrator of the violence.

"It was repeated and constant, and prolonged and sustained - your daughters lived under your reign of terror."

Sharon clenched her fist and fidgeted as she was sent down.

Charles was jailed for three years and showed no emotion as he was told his sentence.

They were both made the subject of a Non-Harassment Order, banning them from contacting their children for the next 10 years.

Charles glared back at the public gallery as he was led away in handcuffs.