A five-year-old boy was killed by his mother, stepfather and 14-year-old after months of harassment and imprisonment in the “dungeon” of his small dark bedroom, a jury found.
After Logan Mwangi died of injuries common to people involved in a car accident or fall, Angarad Williamson, John Cole and the teenager tried to escape justice by throwing the boy’s body into a river and calling police. to report that they feared he had been abducted.
Cardiff’s court heard that in the months before Logan was assassinated, he gradually disappeared from the sight of the authorities, with his family using the Covid pandemic as an excuse to lock him up.
An investigation has been launched into whether there is a chance that Logan will be rescued after authorities revealed that he was aware of some of the injuries he received in the months before he died.
Angarad Williamson and John Cole. Photo: Rex / Shutterstock
The inquiry will also look at what was known about Cole’s past. It can now be revealed that his violent story includes a previous attack on a child and he is said to have had an interest in the National Front. The court heard that Cole hated Logan’s resemblance in appearance to his natural father, who is of Kenyan descent, suggesting that racism may have played a role in his relationship with Logan.
Another question for the investigation will be why the death threats against Logan, allegedly made by the 14-year-old in the weeks before the murder, were not taken by the authorities.
When Williamson was found guilty, she fell to the floor, shouting, “No, no, no.” The judge, Judge Jeffford, told her, “Out of respect for your son, keep quiet.”
As she was being led out of court, Williamson fought the dock officers and shouted at Cole, “You’re a liar, you fucking killer.”
In her closing remarks, Caroline Reese said Logan had been “dehumanized” by each of the accused. She said: “He was kept as a prisoner in his small bedroom, a room described by Angarad Williamson as a dungeon, with closed curtains and a children’s gate with a barrier that prevents him from moving around the rest of the apartment.
When his body was examined, it was found to be bruised, scratched and scratched from head to toe, with more than 50 injuries reported – and many more individual injuries. He suffered damage to the brain, liver and stomach. Reese said his death would be slow and painful.
The prosecutor said that after Logan’s murder, the three defendants planned to “clean up the scene and set up a trail to lead the police on the wrong path.”
Logan’s bedroom, which his mother describes as a dungeon, was heard by the court. Photo: distribution
She said that before the murder, 30-year-old Williamson and 40-year-old Cole had worked together to cover up Logan’s injuries, including an arm injury and a neck burn, by social workers and police.
Two days before his body was found, Cole punched Logan in the abdomen and the 14-year-old swept Logan off his feet using martial arts. Cole said: “The only way this boy understands is pain.
The case focuses on the alarming increase in child abuse during Covid. Calls to the NSPCC Adult Helpline in the UK with child welfare concerns increased by 23% in 2020-21 compared to the previous year, to a record high of almost 85,000. There was an increase of 28% over the previous year. year in the number of references made by the helpline to agencies in Wales in relation to all concerns for a child in 2020-21.
The Council for the Protection of Cwm Taf Morgannwg, which is responsible for children at risk in Bridgend, said that the review of children’s practice will consider the agencies’ contacts with the family. A report from the Government of Wales will be presented. The review is not expected to be completed before the autumn.
The sentencing was postponed.
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