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'. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. I didn't see it. He had consumed at least six-and-a-half teaspoons of salt the day he was fatally injured. But her ultimate unravelling came as she was quizzed about Arthur's collapse. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 15 June: Tustin took Arthur with her to an appointment with her hairdresser, Catherine Milhench, who said Arthur was told to face the door and not move during the six-hour session. Hughes was described as weak by the senior investigating officer, Det Insp Laura Harrison. On the first day of the trial, Ms Tustin admitted child cruelty by ill-treating, while Mr Hughes denies a similar charge. He sent the photos to an officer but never heard back. 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. Tustin and Hughes manipulated visitors, told them his bruises were down to play. By contrast, Hughes was emotionless in the witness box. West 3301 Mercy Health Blvd. The vast majority of the recordings were of Arthur crying. She made multiple references to him 'winning'. There was a consensus that it was 'inconceivable' Arthur could have caused them himself. "Whatever has happened, it has been done by his own actions," Tustin told jurors. Tustin could be heard 'policing' Arthur in some of the clips barking 'stand still, stand still'. 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. 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. [4][5][2][3] This led to Thomas Hughes becoming Arthur's sole carer. 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. Hughes's following comment to officers proved to be telling: "Emma isn't a suspect, she's a witness. Arthur changed schools to Dickens Heath Community Primary School[6][7] and moved into an annex behind his paternal grandparents' home, with his father. List of child abuse cases featuring long-term detention, "Online directories- LABINJO-HUGHES, Arthur (Adjourned)", "Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: Images show tragic little boy smiling with his mother before she lost joint custody after killing partner", "What happened to Arthur Labinjo-Hughes? While much of the exchanges were inaudible Tustin could be heard regularly asking what Hughes had said to the police. As he died, she did nothing save take a photo and send it to Hughes. "At the time I thought I was doing the right thing by my unborn child. Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, six, collapsed from fatal injuries at a home in Shirley, Solihull on June 16 last year. 'C***' was a favourite insult of the foul-mouthed pair. 18 April 2020: Arthurs uncle, Daniel Hughes, spoke to West Midlands police about the bruises on the boys back. There was also an incident during a School Nativity play where Arthur became upset when a baby doll was removed from its crib. His father Thomas Hughes, 29, and his former partner Emma Tustin, 32, are. [8] Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic led to the closure of all schools in the UK and a national lockdown by the end of March 2020. You can also donate cash, which will go into a fund held by a charity partner to use to plug gaps or buy specialist toys for children with additional needs. She said it was set up on a living room shelf to monitor Arthur's behaviour because he had supposedly ripped up things and allegedly dropped her tortoise, although that was disputed. She broke down in tears numerous times in the stand, prompting Hughes' barrister to ask 'who are you crying for now?' Tustin pleaded guilty to child cruelty counts 2 and 3. He added: "Over the course of 17 months a lot has been put to me I was not previously aware of regarding Emma and it has made me see Emma in a completely different light. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. By Riyah Collins. Hughes was found guilty of child cruelty counts 2 (standing in isolation) and 3 (assaults). The six-year-old died in hospital from a brain injury after he was found fatally injured at a house in Shirley, Solihull. 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. Here is the timeline of events leading up to his death. ", 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.". You were in this movie. Both defendants subsequently accepted they 'assaulted' the boy, contrary to their previous pleas. Hughes allegedly spoke of putting him up for adoption. The next day, a social worker went to visit Hughes and Tustin's household. 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. Arthur died in Solihull in June 2020. Clubs are free to negotiate deals ahead of 2024. Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: Grandmother pays tribute to boy, six. Tustin bombarded Hughes with messages complaining of the child's behaviour as his condition worsened. CEO and Legal Counsel. The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. Hughes confessed to treating Arthur 'like a prisoner' by making him stay in the hallway for the 'majority of the time', adding his discipline had 'gone horribly wrong'. Six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes subjected to "incomprehensible" suffering in the days and weeks running up to his . By the end, the twisted bully had dehumanized his son who he claimed was his 'world'. We're first for breaking news in Yorkshire - and now we have a Facebook group where you can keep up to date. A Home Office pathologist concluded the pattern of many injuries suggested they were inflicted and none-accidental. Arthur Labinjo-Hughes died in hospital several hours after he was found unresponsive at a house on Cranmore Road in Shirley, near Birmingham 'Bullying' parents 'poisoned' their six-year-old son. He died on 17 June 2020. 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. He stated he 'probably' inflicted injuries to his son and hit him with a slipper causing him to bash his head. He was made to sleep there even when the other children slept elsewhere. Arthur was conspicuous by his absence on the camera for long periods despite the fact both defendants would often be in the living room talking, gesticulating or shouting towards the hallway. 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'. The fly on the wall CCTV footage, the terrorising text messages and a capitulation in the witness box. The monster even had the gall to claim the boy was making her life 'hell'. 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'. 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. Tustin could be heard 'policing' Arthur in some of the clips barking 'stand still, stand still'. In his eyes was fear, they would say, and it soon became apparent why. In the witness box told the jury he was simply covering for Tustin, who he now 'hated' and saw in a 'completely different light'. "I don't want other people to suffer for my ignorance, my neglect. Something went wrong, please try again later. Read about our approach to external linking. 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. Tustin was repeatedly shown the living room footage from that afternoon but could not provide a consistent account of what happened at what time. In particular, he suffered a detached retina which a pathologist said was 'very, very rare' in child head trauma cases. It was a lie. Not long after he weakly put away his bedding on 16 June, Tustin took Arthur to her appointment at Ms Milhench's home. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Read more. ", Statistics for England suggested that there had been a 20% decrease in referrals to local authorities' children's departments but a 20% increase in reported cases of child harm and a 19% increase in child deaths. All it did was underline her inhumane treatment of her step-son. It was not intentional," he added. Arthurs father, 29-year-old Thomas Hughes, takes over care for his son, and in August meets Emma Tustin, 32, online. Tustin was subsequently found guilty of child cruelty counts 4 (deprivation of food and drink) and 5 (salt poisoning). 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". And it's much easier for families who want to evade view to do that when they havent got someone in the room. Their report is likely to be published next year. There was no way the six-year-old boy could inflict these "unsurvivable" injuries on himself. Tustin sent these recordings to Hughes who would respond with violent threats, encouraging his partner to harm his son. The texts of his violent intent, the holes he smashed through the living room door and CCTV footage of him dragging Arthur around like an animal exposed his real 'short-tempered, wicked' nature. 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. Tuesday 16 June 2020 started the same as any other for six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: in misery and in pain. Prosecutors noted how the day Arthur was fatally injured, there was barely an indication that he even lived at number 39 Cranmore Road, such was his isolation from the rest of the family. Thomas Hughes said that Tustin coached the boys to lie about the incident and had warned him they would lose custody of their children if he did not cooperate as well. Below we have listed the significant evidence and developments in the trial. The prosecutor said Ms Tustin recorded more than 200 audio files of Arthur in "various stages of distress". By the end, the twisted bully had dehumanized his son who he claimed was his 'world'. The vast majority of the recordings were of Arthur crying. The explanations of what happened, as they emerge, are sure to be painful. No-one else. The same witness said that when Arthur "secretly" asked him for a drink of water, while Mr Hughes and Ms Tustin were out of the room, "he had to hold [the glass] to Arthur's mouth" because he was "too weak to hold it himself". The pair also face an allegation of child cruelty by administering salt to Arthur between 1 and 17 June last year. Arthur Labinjo-Hughes' gran says 'I have failed' & blasts selfish killer for acting like his death 'inconvenienced' her Holly Christodoulou Published: 12:59, 3 Dec 2021 Updated: 14:55, 3 Dec 2021. 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'. Minutes later, Arthur was unconscious. He died on 17 June 2020. he 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. Hughes was instead offered an early help programme to assist Arthur in dealing with his traumatic past, which he declined. Is climate change killing Australian wine? Tustin and Thomas Hughes[c] were convicted on murder and manslaughter charges, respectively, in December 2021. ", READ MORE: First pictures of 'evil' dad and step-mum who tortured and killed six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes. But her words did not wash with prosecutor Jonas Hankin who completely skewered her during cross-examination. Over the following days he reported to the school that Arthur was losing weight, wasnt eating and might faint. March 2020: Hughes took Arthur to Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services practitioner, Kerry Forsyth-Benson, who reported the boy saying he was worried about his dad not returning. [12] Tustin then took a photo of the dying boy, which she sent to Hughes. After she was arrested for killing her abusive partner in 2019, Arthur was left in the sole care of his father. The jury was told that Arthur's head injuries were comparable to someone who had been in a serious car accident. Cellmates of evil stepmum who murdered arthur, 6, lace her food with salt. In the witness box told the jury he was simply covering for Tustin, who he now 'hated' and saw in a 'completely different light'. All it did was underline her inhumane treatment of her step-son. Hughes was found guilty of child cruelty counts 2 (standing in isolation) and 3 (assaults). I can't account for it. 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. He wanted Tustin, her children and their unborn baby, and not Arthur. I didn't want to lose another child and the only way I could protect that child was to try and protect Emma from it all and take the blame for myself.". significant evidence and developments in the trial. Mr Hankin branded her a 'pitiless, cruel woman' who 'hated' Arthur. The day before Arthur died he joked about paying someone to 'dig Arthur's grave'. There were between 100 to 130 marks in total including 30 to his head and neck. Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? A Home Office pathologist concluded the pattern of many injuries suggested they were inflicted and none-accidental. 20 April 2020: Joanne Hughes told Arthurs school about the referral to social services. [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. When Labinjo-Halcrow[d] killed her partner in February 2019, responsibility for the boy was transferred to his father. [19] The trial related to the case of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes took place at a similar time to the one related to the Murder of Star Hobson, another young child who was abused and killed by carers. In some of the recordings he was heard saying: "Please help me, help me uncle, they're not feeding me, I need some food and a drink. She is currently in jail for the manslaughter of 29-year-old delivery driver Gary Cunningham in their home. [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 realise now I made it a lot harder for myself.". Detectives used the footage to establish that Arthur spent almost all day in the hallway in the run-up to his death. Tustin pleaded guilty to child cruelty counts 2 and 3. The jury was also shown images mapping the catalogue of bruises to Arthur's body. I don't want them to suffer. Arthur's grandmother Joanne Hughes made a social services report on April 16, 2020, after discovering bruises to his back, which she suspected had been caused by Tustin. I'm guilty of all of this. [22], Due to the nature of Arthur's injuries and the accounts given by Tustin and Thomas Hughes, both parents were arrested on the evening of 16 June initially on suspicion of assault and then murder. "I effectively killed my son. Ms Tustin took pictures and recorded audio clips and videos of Arthur being punished, sending them to Mr Hughes, jurors were told. Emma Tustin allegedly carried out the assault. In a three-minute phone call, Hughes pretended they spoke about balloons for a birthday party but more likely, prosecutors suggest, he acted as he routinely did when Tustin reported Arthur's behaviour to him: in a rage, with threats, and encouraging violence. 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. His maternal grandmother, Madeleine Halcrow, said Hughes had stopped her from seeing Arthur since 2019. Injuries of a car crash victim and cancer sufferer.
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