Hughes allegedly spoke of putting him up for adoption. Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, six, suffered an "unsurvivable brain injury" in Shirley, Solihull, and died in hospital the following day in June last year. [16] The head of Solihull council reported that social workers had been forced to leave their homes due to abuse and threats related to the case. Hughes was described as weak by the senior investigating officer, Det Insp Laura Harrison. The child collapsed to the floor as they left the hairdresser's but was not helped by either Tustin or Thomas when he arrived. 2023 BBC. As Arthur returned to school after the summer holidays, a teaching assistant stated that she had 'no concerns' about his wellbeing. Thomas Hughes, Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Emma Tustin He told the jury at Coventry Crown Court he was forced to stay at Tustin's home when the first lockdown was announced in March 2020.. [9][10] At the beginning of the lockdown, Arthur and his father were staying in Tustin's home. 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'. To get the latest email updates from Yorkshire Live, click here . Hughes was found guilty of child cruelty counts 2 (standing in isolation) and 3 (assaults). [11] Arthur was taken to Birmingham Children's Hospital; however, doctors were unable to save him and he died later that night. Associated General Contractors of Northwest Ohio. '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? 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. The Child Safeguarding Partnership said it would be "inappropriate" to comment ahead of its findings, but said the "terrible tragedy has had a shocking impact on Arthur's family and across the whole community". Hughes returned home and a 999 call was made at 2.42pm. She feigned contrition repeatedly describing her treatment to Arthur as 'absolutely disgraceful' and purporting she was 'disgusted in myself'. The couple are also accused of multiple counts of child cruelty. 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. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. According to his grandmother, Arthur was initially 'nervous' but quickly became a 'happy, well-rounded child'. Ms Kavanagh insisted she only saw a single 'faint' bruise on Arthur's back and not the marks visible in the picture taken just 26 hours earlier, despite an expert saying they would not have faded by then. Thomas Hughes, 29, and Emma Tustin, 32, are accused of murdering Arthur Labinjo-Hughes who suffered an "unsurvivable brain injury." The youngster was allegedly subjected to a "campaign of. The day before Arthur died he joked about paying someone to 'dig Arthur's grave'. The court also heard Tustin wanted the CCTV. She doesn't need it.". Thomas Hughes had been jailed for. In the witness box told the jury he was simply covering for Tustin, who he now 'hated' and saw in a 'completely different light'. The child was secretly given a drink of water by the hairdresser's partner, who later described him as "gaunt", "malnourished" and "a poor little kid who was broken". [13] Arthur was left with an unsurvivable brain injury. [4][5][2][3] This led to Thomas Hughes becoming Arthur's sole carer. 'C***' was a favourite insult of the foul-mouthed pair. 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. There was a consensus that it was 'inconceivable' Arthur could have caused them himself. Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: Grandmother pays tribute to boy, six. You did this to him.". She was told that Arthur's injuries had been sustained in a fight with Tustin's son. 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. Poisoned, Arthur would have deteriorated within about 45 minutes. Both defendants subsequently accepted they 'assaulted' the boy, contrary to their previous pleas. Toledo, Ohio Area. I can't account for it. The camera also picked up isolated incidents of bullying Hughes and cruel Tustin slapping Arthur round the back of the head and holding him by the scruff of the neck. Dr. John Hughes, MD, is a Family Medicine specialist practicing in Norwalk, OH with 29 years of experience. 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[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. 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.". A man accused of murdering his son said he "probably" valued his partner's love and affection over his child's welfare. 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. 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. The vast majority of the recordings were of Arthur crying. It was not intentional," he added. realtor.com | Homes for Sale, Apartments & Houses for Rent His. ", Hughes later told Tustin he had 'basically held my hands up'. 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.". The six-year-old died in hospital from a brain injury after he was found fatally injured at a house in Shirley, Solihull. The next day, a social worker went to visit Hughes and Tustin's household. 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. Hughes' WhatsApp messages became increasingly malevolent. Boy, 6, was 'poisoned' with so much salt he was 'unable to fight She was asked to retrieve her notes of the visit and return to the witness box at a later stage in the trial. Someone supposedly 'stuck in the middle' of a bad situation, but ultimately with Arthur's best interests in mind. She tried to convince Hughes to leave the boy with her but he refused. Hughes took Tustin's children to the supermarket, leaving his own son in mortal danger. Hughes would even call Arthur's school and tell teachers he'd been playing out in the garden. He was made to sleep there even when the other children slept elsewhere. In another, the fear stricken boy yelled 'daddy's going to throw me out the window'. When Labinjo-Halcrow[d] killed her partner in February 2019, responsibility for the boy was transferred to his father. Barely able to stand, he folded away his bedding in the living room where his father and new stepmother had been making him sleep on the floor, all the while monitored by CCTV set up to catch him "misbehaving". [3] Though Thomas Hughes's mother asked that he and Arthur come to her house, he refused,[8] instead deciding to move in with Tustin's at her home in Solihull for the duration of the lockdown. The vast majority of the recordings were of Arthur crying. [30], A local review was launched into the incident soon after the boy's death. Arthur Labinjo-Hughes. One witness said the previously happy and healthy boy looked "as though he were broken" on the day of his death. I don't want Emma to suffer.". Tustin also laid her cards on the table to Hughes over text and said: "I want you but not him.". Thomas Hughes, Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Emma Tustin. She made multiple references to him 'winning'. It emerged that after Tustin and Hughes each gave one police interview they travelled in the back of a police van together where their conversations were 'covertly recorded'. Since the disappearance, reddit and websleuths users have been commenting on. Hughes's following comment to officers proved to be telling: "Emma isn't a suspect, she's a witness. You were in this movie. 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. It was not intentional," he added. Six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes tragically died last year in the hallway of a home in Cranmore Road, Shirley in the West Midlands, after suffering from catastrophic head injuries. Hughes told police he 'turned into a monster' during lockdown and that 'Arthur took the brunt of my frustrations unfairly'. I'm guilty of all of this. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: Man accused of helping to murder son 'probably' valued lover over child, court told Thomas Hughes, 29, denied prosecution claims he was an "utterly ruthless, unthinking and pitiless" parent and that he "relished in abusing" his six-year-old child. As he grew weaker and struggled to stand, Arthur would be punished further if he tried to move or sit down in the hallway. Furious inmates 'toss salt at killer stepmum' who tortured Arthur Labinjo-Hughes", "Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: Father and stepmother's prison sentences to be reviewed", "Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: 'A bruise for every day of lockdown' left on body of boy killed by father and stepmother", "Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: Emma Tustin sentenced to life and Thomas Hughes 21 years for torturing and killing six-year-old", High Court Judgement: Regina - v Emma Tustin & THomas Hughes Sentencing Remarks, "Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: Killer father has sentence increased", "Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: review launched into six-year-old's murder", "Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: National inquiry into boy's death", "Timeline of the key missed opportunities leading up to Arthur's death revealed", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murder_of_Arthur_Labinjo-Hughes&oldid=1143956977, This page was last edited on 10 March 2023, at 23:33. I'm guilty of all of this. In reply Judge Wall said the police interviews were only part of the evidence they were to hear. But her words did not wash with prosecutor Jonas Hankin who completely skewered her during cross-examination. I realise now I made it a lot harder for myself.". [3], The case made a significant impact on the local community and particularly football fans. There were between 100 to 130 marks in total including 30 to his head and neck. 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. 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. 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. In another, the fear stricken boy yelled 'daddy's going to throw me out the window'. 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. He portrayed himself as dim-witted, lacking in confidence and completely submissive to Tustin's assertive control. 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". May 2020: Tustins stepfather, John Dutton, said he made an anonymous referral to social services because he felt Arthur was in danger. Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: Trial begins as court hears parents 'murdered Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: Killer father has sentence increased Tustin claimed she was shedding tears for Arthur. By the end, the twisted bully had dehumanized his son who he claimed was his 'world'. Arthur Labinjo-Hughes was the son of Olivia Labinjo-Halcrow and Thomas Hughes. Read about our approach to external linking. READ MORE: Live updates as 'evil' stepmum and dad found guilty of murder of Arthur. [11], In April, Thomas Hughes returned home with his son for a few days due to a disagreement with Tustin. Later at trial, the prosecution argued that she gave Arthur an overdose of salt in the bathroom at around this time though Tustin denied this. Despite the challenges, he was a happy and cheeky child who was adored by his extended family. 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. He said the messages were so constant they became 'boring', and he stopped listening to them. By the end of the month, Arthur was moved out of Tustin's son and daughter's bedroom and made to sleep on the living room floor. She doesn't need it.". In light of the revelations a juror asked if they were seriously expected to believe Hughes was not guilty of any child cruelty offence. 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. Arthur wasn't just her only son, Labinjo-Halcrow said, but her best friend with a gentle and caring nature. Hughes claimed Tustin 'coached' the children into lying to the social workers and warned Hughes if he did not go along with it as well they would have their children taken from them. [4][8], In August 2019, Thomas Hughes met Emma Tustin on the dating website Plenty of Fish. Tustin reported these incidents to Thomas via text messages and audio clips of him crying. Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: 'Bullying' couple 'poisoned' boy, 6, with salt 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. 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. Another unusual feature was the fact Tustin obsessively recorded more than 200 voice notes of Arthur during lockdown. Like the CCTV, she claimed the purpose of the voice notes was to 'cover my own back'. Also involved are Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Trust, Barnardo's, Spurgeon's children's charity, the Springfield project in Sparkhill, St Paul's Community Development Trust and Your Local Pantry, which runs food hubs in 12 locations across Birmingham and the Black Country. "I don't want other people to suffer for my ignorance, my neglect. He was monitored on CCTV set up around the home, cameras that would eventually capture Tustin callously trying to administer Calpol to the boy she had murdered just out of view in the hallway.