A Pembrokeshire toddler was murdered in a 'frenzied, brutal and violent attack' at the hands of her mother’s boyfriend, it was alleged at Swansea Crown Court today, Wednesday, March 8.

Kyle Bevan, 31, from Queen’s Road, Aberystwyth, is accused of murdering Lola James.

The two year old’s mother, Sinead James, 30, of Neyland, Pembrokeshire, is charged with causing or allowing her death.

Both have denied the allegations with Bevan maintaining that Lola fell twice, once due to a collision with the family dog, sustaining injuries. James maintain that she did not believe that Bevan posed a risk to her child.

The prosecution’s case is that Lola was murdered as a result of a ‘frenzied, brutal and violent attack’ at the hands of Bevan.

That he was a character prone to violent outbursts, especially when he was using amphetemines, which he continued to do when he moved into James’ family home, four months before little Lola’s death.

The jury heard that Bevan did not call for an ambulance for more than an hour after Lola sustained her injuries at the family home at Princess Royal Way, Haverfordwest between the evening and early morning of July 16 and 17 2020.

Lola’s mother Sinead had gone to bed at around 8pm on July 16, 2020, leaving Bevan alone with two of her children.

At around midnight she was woken by a scream and found Bevan comforting Lola, who he said had fallen from her bunkbed. She went back to bed. Not waking until after Lola had sustained fatal injuries in the early morning of July 17.

Bevan’s phone records showed that at 4.26am on the morning of July 26 Lola James was conscious and upright.

However at 6.32 Bevan began searching the internet, putting in ‘my two year old had just taken a bang to the head and had gone all limp and soring, what’s wrong. A minute later he searched for loss of consciousness.

At 6.37 he took a screen shot of a website providing him with clear advice to seek medical assistance. Still he did not wake Sinead James or call an ambulance.

In the next two minutes he took two photos of Lola. These were shown to the jury and depicted a large area of swelling and bruising to Lola’s head and face.

He then began phoning and messaging his mother, a health worker, who when she woke to the messages began urging him to wake Sinead James and call an ambulance.

At 6.58 Bevan recorded a harrowing 22 second video showing Lola severely injured and unconscious. The video, played to the court, showed Bevan trying to stand up Lola and her falling with a thud. Bevan is then heard saying ‘she’s gone’.

Lola sustained 101 surface injuries to her body, including bruising, puncture wounds and grazing as well as bleeding to the retina and, swollen lips and bruising inside the ear.

She died on July 21 at University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff.

The prosecution said that medical experts both at University Hospital Wales Cardiff, where Lola was transferred and those who looked at her scans, photos and notes after her death, concluded that the injuries were caused by abusive head trauma which would have included violent shaking and blunt force impact.

None of the experts cited by the prosecution said that Lola’s injuries were consistent with Bevan’s explanation that Lola had fallen down the stairs due to a collision with the family dog.

The jury also heard that the family home was messy and dirty. However the bath had been scrubbed clean and a blood and wet vomit stained child’s onesie had later been found in the house.

The prosecution contested that Bevan had tried to clean Lola up to erase evidence of his assault before dressing her and taking photos of her.

James is alleged to have known that her boyfriend posed significant risk of serious harm to Lola, based on injuries her children had sustained while previously in his care and due to his aggressive behaviour towards her and his use of illegal drugs especially amphetamine.

The court heard that it was in no way alleged that James had any part in the alleged attack on her daughter, but rather that she failed to take steps to protect her from the risk posed by Bevan.

The trial continues.

 

 

 

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