The fly on the wall CCTV footage, the terrorising text messages and a capitulation in the witness box. I don't want Emma to suffer.". Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: A life cut short by cruelty - BBC News November 2019: Hughes and his mother, Joanne, met staff at Arthurs school to discuss their growing concerns about his behaviour. Arthur Labinjo-Hughes' grandmother discovered 'naughty chair' list with He tried to seduce Tustin to have sex while Arthur was in the hallway, and in one text he told her to 'put him outside or wherever, give him away, put him out with the rubbish'. [8], In early 2020, Thomas Hughes took his son to multiple medical appointments but the boy was not diagnosed with any mental health problems. I didn't kill him. She was also found guilty of child cruelty counts 4 (deprivation of food and drink) and 5 (salt poisoning). Saturday 4 December 2021 06:21, UK . Below we have listed the significant evidence and developments in the trial. However Tustin repeatedly said the police would 'put it on both of us' and added: "None of us are going to walk away from this." Thomas Hughes introduced his son to Tustin early on in the relationship and she later stated that she and Arthur were 'friends straight away'. He said: "I had lost one child, I was aware of the pregnancy of the second. She is pregnant with my child. Mr Hughes, 29, of Stroud Road, and Ms Tustin allegedly forced Arthur to endure "systematic, cruel behaviour", both "physical and psychological" in the weeks before he died. She made multiple references to him 'winning'. Jonas Hankin QC, for the prosecution, told jurors at Coventry Crown Court that Ms Tustin's account included the suggestion "Arthur had headbutted her during the incident" and had treated the couple badly. [8] At the time of his death, a medical review found that he was covered in 130 bruises, that he had been poisoned with salt, and that the extent of his injuries were compared to torture. I can't account for it. In the space of just 18 months Arthur went from a bright and bubbly boy to a weak and emaciated one terrified for his life. BBC News, West Midlands. So theres a big lesson there, instantly about if there is a crisis, there are children who are going to slip from view and we have to make sure they have the protection, which does need face to face contact. Thomas Hughes is referred to using his full-name throughout this article to make clear the distinction from his son. He was rushed to hospital later that same day, June 16, last year, but it was determined nothing could be done to save him and he died at 1am the following morning. The vast majority of the recordings were of Arthur crying. She doesn't need it.". In reply Judge Wall said the police interviews were only part of the evidence they were to hear. significant evidence and developments in the trial. Hughes' WhatsApp messages became increasingly malevolent. Arthur never went back to school before his death. Ms Kavanagh repeated she had 'no safeguarding concerns' about Arthur. Warning - this article contains distressing content. And it's much easier for families who want to evade view to do that when they havent got someone in the room. Arthur's father Thomas Hughes and mother Olivia Labinjo-Halcrow had shared custody of the child, until her arrest for killing her own partner in February 2019. She was not to see him again until he was fighting for his life in intensive care. Thomas Hughes and his girlfriend Emma Tustin are jointly accused of murdering Arthur Labinjo-Hughes at her home in Shirley, Solihull, on 17 June 2020. He was made to sleep there even when the other children slept elsewhere. [23][13] Police officers examined hundreds of videos, audio files and photos found on Tustin's and Hughes' mobile phones, and analysed thousands of messages they sent each other. In reply Judge Wall said the police interviews were only part of the evidence they were to hear. Consultant pathologist Dr Roger Malcolmson told the murder trial. Tuesday 16 June 2020 started the same as any other for six-year-old Arthur . [15] More broadly the child was honoured at various football matches on 4 December 2021. Detectives used the footage to establish that Arthur spent almost all day in the hallway in the run-up to his death. The authorities found no cause for concern. She is pregnant with my child. Both defendants subsequently accepted they 'assaulted' the boy, contrary to their previous pleas. Additionally, both were murdered during the COVID-19 pandemic which was argued to have made it easier for their worsening condition to be hidden from others. The proceedings exceeded two months and were even halted by a fire alarm and Covid-19 alert along the way. Thomas Hughes and his six-year-old son Arthur Labinjo-Hughes A Solihull man accused of murdering his six-year-old son claimed his girlfriend was 'jealous' and tried to 'drive a wedge'. Hughes was repeatedly asked why he did not stand up for Arthur. [30], A local review was launched into the incident soon after the boy's death. He suffered a cardiac arrest, but medics got his heart beating and rushed him to Birmingham Children's Hospital. [9], Tustin is believed to have carried out the fatal assault at 2:29p.m when she went into the hallway, where Arthur was located. He had been confined to the house as a 'punishment' for most of the first national lockdown while the Covid-19 pandemic swept through the country, reports BirminghamLive. Dr. John Hughes, MD, is a Family Medicine specialist practicing in Norwalk, OH with 29 years of experience. The jury was told that Arthur's head injuries were comparable to someone who had been in a serious car accident. He died on 17 June 2020. Beyond shame and sadness, the only fitting response is a promise to . BrumWish 2021 aims to get thousands of Christmas gifts to young children in need across our city - the homeless, the vulnerable, kids in care and kids who have little. Tustin and Hughes manipulated visitors, told them his bruises were down to play. According to his grandmother, Arthur was initially 'nervous' but quickly became a 'happy, well-rounded child'. Hughes initially admitted he was 'accountable' for Arthur's death and said: "There's a long ways to go but I'm guilty of it. Clubs are free to negotiate deals ahead of 2024. She was asked to retrieve her notes of the visit and return to the witness box at a later stage in the trial. Tustin would record more than 200 clips of him in distress, including two particularly harrowing recordings where Arthur is heard begging in tears, "I want you to feed me, no one's going to feed me" and crying "no one loves me". 'no-one loves me' and 'no-one is going to feed me', The jury was told that Arthur's head injuries, Which jail is Emma Tustin in? Like the CCTV, she claimed the purpose of the voice notes was to 'cover my own back'. Back at home, shortly after 2.30pm Tustin messaged Hughes to say Arthur would not get up off the floor and claimed he had knocked himself out by hitting his head on the floor. ", READ MORE: First pictures of 'evil' dad and step-mum who tortured and killed six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes. Tustin reported these incidents to Thomas via text messages and audio clips of him crying. Then, he was really quite healthy looking, they told the court. By contrast, Hughes was emotionless in the witness box. Hughes would even call Arthur's school and tell teachers he'd been playing out in the garden. I didn't see it. Both defendants subsequently accepted they 'assaulted' the boy, contrary to their previous pleas. She said his physical appearance seemed fine and, as his aggression and anxiety had reduced, she concluded there was no mental health issue. But some of the memos will last long in the memory, in particular Arthur crying for his grandmother and uncle saying repeatedly 'no-one loves me' and 'no-one is going to feed me'. [8], On the morning of 16 June, Arthur appeared on CCTV footage to be weak, in visible pain and struggling to lift his bedclothes. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? 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During the trial Tustin was captured on CCTV carrying a large salt container out of the living room which was later photographed in the bathroom. Tustin was subsequently found guilty of child cruelty counts 4 (deprivation of food and drink) and 5 (salt poisoning). Detectives used the footage to establish that Arthur spent almost all day in the hallway in the run-up to his death. [11], In April, Thomas Hughes returned home with his son for a few days due to a disagreement with Tustin. Since the disappearance, reddit and websleuths users have been commenting on. It threw up the first major question in the trial, why was it there? [4][5][2][3] This led to Thomas Hughes becoming Arthur's sole carer. It did not add up that he had apparently confessed his guilt to officers and yet went on to deny all the charges against him. She wants the world to remember her son, not for the harrowing end to his short life, but for his superpower - his smile. Michelle Hull, safeguarding lead at Dickens Heath Community primary school, contacted social services but was told they had no concerns. The vast majority of the recordings were of Arthur crying. Tustin pleaded guilty to child cruelty counts 2 and 3. She was asked to retrieve her notes of the visit and return to the witness box at a later stage in the trial. In one message she said 'f****** launch this lying little f***' and in another she warned she was 'going to chin this little c***'. Arthur Labinjo-Hughes suffered a fatal collapse while at Emma Tustin's home in Solihull All the while, Arthur was cut off from those who loved him and could help him. A Home Office pathologist concluded the pattern of many injuries suggested they were inflicted and none-accidental. Both defendants denied being responsible, or even knowing salt poisoning was a factor in Arthur's death until much later. I don't want Emma to suffer.". The jury were told how Arthur was made to stand in isolation for up to 14 hours a day, was frequently assaulted, deprived of food and water as well as poisoned with salt. We have used the asterisk no less than 600 times during our live coverage of the case. Thomas Hughes and his girlfriend Emma Tustin are jointly accused of murdering Arthur Labinjo-Hughes at her home in Shirley, Solihull, on 17 June 2020. Arthur Labinjo-Hughes (4 January 2014 - 17 June 2020) was a six-year-old child living in the West Midlands, England who was abused and subsequently killed by his carers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Shown footage demonstrating how Arthur was made to spend all day in the hallway and then sleep on the living room floor he said: "You are not here to watch television and comment on it. The prosecutor stated social services were presented with a 'false picture'. He said the messages were so constant they became 'boring', and he stopped listening to them. A "bullying" father and stepmother "poisoned" a six-year-old boy with salt and exposed him to months of "cruel" abuse, a court has heard. Thomas Hughes and Tustin's behaviour towards Arthur became increasingly neglectful, with Arthur forced to spend extended periods isolated from the rest of the household. They all agreed that the most likely mechanism that caused the injuries was a shaking-type motion with one or more impacts. 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", The court was told that in June last year, Mr Hughes told a neighbour: "If you hear anyone saying 'don't kill me', ignore it, I'm not hurting him.". She explained she was told Arthur had a playfight with Tustin's son which resulted in both being hurt. Injuries of a car crash victim and cancer sufferer. Mrs Hughes spotted extensive bruising on her grandson's back and he'd told her Tustin had slammed him into the stairs, calling him an "ugly, horrible brat". Despite the challenges, he was a happy and cheeky child who was adored by his extended family. Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: father and partner found guilty of killing son, six. In particular, he suffered a detached retina which a pathologist said was 'very, very rare' in child head trauma cases. Arthur's dad, Thomas Hughes, 29, and 32-year-old Emma Tustin, his partner, are on trial jointly accused of murder, after the boy suffered an "unsurvivable brain injury" in June . Prosecutors said despite having her phone, she took 12 minutes to call 999, telling medics Arthur "fell and banged his head and while on the floor banged his head another five times". She said children were "the hidden victims of this pandemic" and that the charity had seen an increase of 23% in calls from adults concerned about a child's welfare. For up to 14 hours a day, he would stand facing the door, deprived of food, drink and affection. Arthur Labinjo-Hughes (4 January 2014 17 June 2020) was a six-year-old child living in the West Midlands, England who was abused and subsequently killed by his carers during the COVID-19 pandemic. She branded the couple cold, calculating and wicked. Tustin regularly stated she could not explain her behaviour and claimed it was only now she was 'out of the situation' she could see how bad things were at the time. He told Tustin to 'just end' Arthur, 'take his jaw off' and 'gag' him, while he threatened to 'take his neck off' and 'dash my food off his head'. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. [2][3] The two separated shortly before his second birthday. His . The hallway where Arthur's heart stopped beating is where he had spent most of his time during lockdown. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. [11] Arthur was taken to Birmingham Children's Hospital; however, doctors were unable to save him and he died later that night. Shown CCTV of her slapping the boy to the head, grabbing him by the scruff of the neck and waking him up by ripping the duvet from underneath him, Tustin admitted she had been cruel by assaulting Arthur - despite previously pleading not guilty to that particular offence. The six-year-old died in hospital from a brain injury after he was found fatally injured at a house in Shirley, Solihull. Hughes told police he 'turned into a monster' during lockdown and that 'Arthur took the brunt of my frustrations unfairly'. Police, CAMHS, a social worker and his school all received concerned reports about his welfare. His blood sodium levels were 'off the scale', measuring over 180millimoles per litre (mmol/L) compared to a normal range of 135-145 mmol/L. It didn't take long for things to deteriorate for Arthur. Thomas Hughes ate ice cream in front of his starving six-year-old boy, Six-year-old boy Arthur Labinjo-Hughes was murdered by his step mum, Undated handout photo issued by West Midlands Police of Emma Tustin, Undated handout photo issued by West Midlands Police of Thomas Hughes. West 3301 Mercy Health Blvd. Thomas Hughes decided to take his son to live with his new partner Emma Tustin and her children during COVID-19 related restrictions. The horrific case of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes is raising serious questions about how his abuse went undetected for so long, whether authorities failed in their duty to protect him and how lockdown may have prevented them from doing so. He stated he 'probably' inflicted injuries to his son and hit him with a slipper causing him to bash his head. She flip-flopped from her original account to police; from being in the hallway when he supposedly 'cracked' his own head off the floor to being elsewhere, from the first of four cracks being the loudest to the last of them being the loudest, from being present when Arthur apparently knocked himself out to being somewhere else. But her ultimate unravelling came as she was quizzed about Arthur's collapse. He said: "I had lost one child, I was aware of the pregnancy of the second. Tustin had inflicted a catastrophic brain injury by shaking him and repeatedly slamming his head into a hard surface. His father Thomas Hughes and partner Emma Tustin deny the boy's murder and multiple counts of child cruelty. READ MORE: Live updates as 'evil' stepmum and dad found guilty of murder of Arthur. The jury was told that Arthur's head injuries were comparable to someone who had been in a serious car accident. All rights reserved. We have covered every minute of the case, which we know has broken hearts around the world as the extent of Arthur's torture was revealed. Accused dad 'besotted with girlfriend who said he was too soft on son' Arguably the most heart-breaking clip to watch was Arthur being so weak on the morning of his collapse that he barely had the strength to carry his bedding out of the living room, where he had been forced to sleep. Ironically, all it did was serve to incriminate her and Hughes further. 16 June 2020: Video footage from a CCTV camera in the living room, where Arthur slept on the floor, showed him appearing weak as he woke up and struggled to carry his duvet out of the room. [14] Arthur's favourite team, Birmingham City F.C, named a children's area in its stadium after him and supporters sung his name on a march through Birmingham prior to a match. By the time of his death, Arthur was malnourished, suffering from salt poisoning, and covered with over 130 bruises. She said she recommended an early help programme including 'life story' work for Arthur, but Hughes declined it. No-one else. Mr Hankin branded her a 'pitiless, cruel woman' who 'hated' Arthur. Tustin also laid her cards on the table to Hughes over text and said: "I want you but not him.". Both defendants denied being responsible, or even knowing salt poisoning was a factor in Arthur's death until much later. Tustin spent over a week in the witness box. [11] Paramedics from West Midlands Ambulance Service and officers from West Midlands Police arrived on scene shortly after the emergency call was made. Verdicts returned in murder trial of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes Arthur Labinjo-Hughes died after being left alone with Emma Tustin last year, Arthur's grandmother alerted social services to bruises on his body, but no action was taken, Arthur was monitored on CCTV which in court would be used to prove how he suffered, Arthur Labinjo-Hughes suffered a fatal collapse while at Emma Tustin's home in Solihull, Arthur was fatally assaulted by Tustin in the hallway at the house on Cramore Road, During her trial, Emma Tustin sought to blame Arthur for his own injuries, Thomas Hughes completely let his son down, police said. Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: 'Bullying' couple 'poisoned' boy, 6, with salt [8], When Arthur's school reopened on 8 June he was not in attendance; Thomas Hughes was contacted by the school about the matter but provided various excuses for the child's absence. When Labinjo-Halcrow[d] killed her partner in February 2019, responsibility for the boy was transferred to his father. Between June 12 to June 14 he was ordered to stay there for more than 35 hours in total. It was made plain to her that the consensus medical opinion was that Arthur could not have caused his fatal head injuries himself, and yet still she blamed him for his own death. She concluded there were no safeguarding concerns and no need to refer the case for a full child service assessment. His treasured possessions, including a favourite blanket, teddy bear and his beloved Birmingham City football shirts, were torn up and destroyed before his eyes by an enraged Hughes as another twisted punishment. Read more. Hughes claimed he only found out Tustin aborted their baby in custody when she said so herself in the witness box a few days earlier. She broke down in tears numerous times in the stand, prompting Hughes' barrister to ask 'who are you crying for now?' Arthur Labinjo-Hughes' gran says 'I have failed' & blasts selfish I haven't got a leg to stand on.". The monster even had the gall to claim the boy was making her life 'hell'. It is alleged Ms Tustin carried out a fatal . Hughes's following comment to officers proved to be telling: "Emma isn't a suspect, she's a witness. Severely underweight at the time of his murder, he was a hungry boy who would not eat because the food he was given was inedible. VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line, Why an Indian comedian is challenging fake news rules. Dr Coulthard concluded Arthur was salt poisoned stating it could have occurred incrementally but that he would have had to have been given a large dose of the kitchen condiment in the hours immediately before he collapsed. I'm guilty of all of this. There were between 100 to 130 marks in total including 30 to his head and neck. It's as simple as that. Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? At best her evidence was inconsistent, at worst, her testimony was an utter shambles. 2023 BBC. May 2020: Tustins stepfather, John Dutton, said he made an anonymous referral to social services because he felt Arthur was in danger. She refuted the allegation. [29] On 29 July 2022, Thomas Hughes' sentence was increased to 24 years on appeal as the judge found his original sentence to be too lenient. Prosecutors said his head was "banged repeatedly against a hard surface" causing an "unsurvivable brain injury". [8], In May 2020, Arthur was frequently made to stand in the hallway for long periods of time as a punishment for his alleged misbehaviour. Furious inmates 'toss salt at killer stepmum' who tortured Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, Jaws of a giant killer creature found on Yorkshire beach, The trial took a number of twists and turns as the prosecution, Heartbroken family of Yorkshire mum who died after freak incident with a goose still searching for answers, Nativity's Jason Watkins and other cast members now - from tragic death of daughter to Call the Midwife and the West End stage. We pay respect by giving voice to social justice, acknowledging our shared history and valuing the cultures of First Nations. She feigned contrition repeatedly describing her treatment to Arthur as 'absolutely disgraceful' and purporting she was 'disgusted in myself'. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. How much did lockdown help Arthur Labinjo-Hughes killers escape notice? While what happened to Arthur is rare, the NSPCC has raised concerns about the risks to children during lockdown. She tried to convince Hughes to leave the boy with her but he refused. His head injuries were said to be unsurvivable and Arthur died shortly before 01:00 BST on 17 June. Tustin, 32, and 29-year-old Hughes were accused of killing Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, who suffered an "unsurvivable" brain injury on June 16, 2020. "I effectively killed my son. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. Although he was not present for the final attack on Arthur, he was also found culpable for his death for the months of abuse he enforced himself and encouraged from Tustin. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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