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| Mother and partner convicted over death of Lola James, two, in Wales | Mother and partner convicted over death of Lola James, two, in Wales |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Kyle Bevan guilty of murder and Sinead James found to have caused or allowed death of her daughter | Kyle Bevan guilty of murder and Sinead James found to have caused or allowed death of her daughter |
| A mother and her partner face jail after being convicted over the death of a two-year-old girl who suffered horrific injuries in an attack at the family home. | A mother and her partner face jail after being convicted over the death of a two-year-old girl who suffered horrific injuries in an attack at the family home. |
| Kyle Bevan, 31, was found guilty of murdering Lola James, who died of the sort of injuries usually suffered by car crash victims or people who have fallen from a significant height. | Kyle Bevan, 31, was found guilty of murdering Lola James, who died of the sort of injuries usually suffered by car crash victims or people who have fallen from a significant height. |
| Lola’s mother, Sinead James, 30, was convicted of causing or allowing the child’s death. | Lola’s mother, Sinead James, 30, was convicted of causing or allowing the child’s death. |
| A child practice review will take place to establish whether agencies could have done more to protect Lola, who was attacked at the family home in Haverfordwest, south-west Wales. | A child practice review will take place to establish whether agencies could have done more to protect Lola, who was attacked at the family home in Haverfordwest, south-west Wales. |
| After the verdicts, Daniel Thomas, Lola’s biological father, released a statement addressing his daughter: “The pain and grief I feel every time I close my eyes and see your perfect little face is unbearable. The outcome here will never stop the hurt you felt or the hurt that lives inside of me.” | |
| Lola’s grandmother, Nicola James, said: “She will for ever be our diamond up in the sky.” | |
| NSPCC Cymru said: “The child practice review into Lola’s death must establish whether more could have been done by agencies to save her, and drive the action required to help prevent such tragic cases in the future. | NSPCC Cymru said: “The child practice review into Lola’s death must establish whether more could have been done by agencies to save her, and drive the action required to help prevent such tragic cases in the future. |
| “Now is the time to make child protection a national priority. The Welsh government has rightly committed to transforming children’s social care and it’s crucial this leads to systemic changes that ensure children like Lola are better protected.” | “Now is the time to make child protection a national priority. The Welsh government has rightly committed to transforming children’s social care and it’s crucial this leads to systemic changes that ensure children like Lola are better protected.” |
| Lola’s case follows that of Logan Mwangi, a five-year-old boy murdered by his mother, her partner and his stepson at the family home in Bridgend, south Wales. A review concluded last year that health professionals and local authority staff missed a string of opportunities to protect Logan. | Lola’s case follows that of Logan Mwangi, a five-year-old boy murdered by his mother, her partner and his stepson at the family home in Bridgend, south Wales. A review concluded last year that health professionals and local authority staff missed a string of opportunities to protect Logan. |
| In Lola’s case, Swansea crown court heard that the family had been known to agencies, with James receiving education on domestic abuse and the related dangers. | In Lola’s case, Swansea crown court heard that the family had been known to agencies, with James receiving education on domestic abuse and the related dangers. |
| Described as a “happy, beautiful and busy little girl”, Lola was found to have 101 external injuries, “catastrophic” head trauma and extensive damage to both her eyes. | Described as a “happy, beautiful and busy little girl”, Lola was found to have 101 external injuries, “catastrophic” head trauma and extensive damage to both her eyes. |
| The prosecution said the girl had been the victim of a “frenzied and extremely violent attack” and the jury dismissed Bevan’s claim that the family dog had knocked her down the stairs. | The prosecution said the girl had been the victim of a “frenzied and extremely violent attack” and the jury dismissed Bevan’s claim that the family dog had knocked her down the stairs. |
| Opening the prosecution case, Caroline Rees KC said Bevan, from Aberystwyth, west Wales, who was a drug user, subjected the girl to the assault while he was alone with her between the evening of 16 July and the morning of 17 July 2020. | Opening the prosecution case, Caroline Rees KC said Bevan, from Aberystwyth, west Wales, who was a drug user, subjected the girl to the assault while he was alone with her between the evening of 16 July and the morning of 17 July 2020. |
| Rees said phone records showed that at about 6.30am on 17 July, Bevan Googled “my 2 year old child has just taken a bang to the head and gone all limp and snoring. What’s wrong”. | Rees said phone records showed that at about 6.30am on 17 July, Bevan Googled “my 2 year old child has just taken a bang to the head and gone all limp and snoring. What’s wrong”. |
| Bevan contacted his mother, Alison Bevan, a healthcare worker, at 6.40am. He then made a video that showed him trying to make Lola stand before he allowed her to fall to the floor. He was seen walking towards the camera saying: “She’s gone. She’s gone.” He sent this to his mother at 6.58am. Alison Bevan urged her son to contact the emergency services but the first call was not made until 7.30am. | Bevan contacted his mother, Alison Bevan, a healthcare worker, at 6.40am. He then made a video that showed him trying to make Lola stand before he allowed her to fall to the floor. He was seen walking towards the camera saying: “She’s gone. She’s gone.” He sent this to his mother at 6.58am. Alison Bevan urged her son to contact the emergency services but the first call was not made until 7.30am. |
| When paramedics arrived, Lola was lying unconscious with a swollen and bruised face and she appeared to be wet. It was believed that Lola had been scrubbed clean, even of transfer tattoos that she appeared to have had on her arm the day before. | When paramedics arrived, Lola was lying unconscious with a swollen and bruised face and she appeared to be wet. It was believed that Lola had been scrubbed clean, even of transfer tattoos that she appeared to have had on her arm the day before. |
| James says she was asleep when her daughter’s injuries were caused. But the prosecution say James should have been aware of the threat Bevan posed to Lola. | James says she was asleep when her daughter’s injuries were caused. But the prosecution say James should have been aware of the threat Bevan posed to Lola. |
| During the trial, James said she met Bevan on Facebook in February 2020, and he moved into her home with her three children the next month. | During the trial, James said she met Bevan on Facebook in February 2020, and he moved into her home with her three children the next month. |
| James said that a few minutes after midnight on 17 July 2021, she heard “a bang and a scream coming from Lola” in her bedroom. She said she ran to the room and found Lola sitting on Bevan’s lap, with no visible injuries. | James said that a few minutes after midnight on 17 July 2021, she heard “a bang and a scream coming from Lola” in her bedroom. She said she ran to the room and found Lola sitting on Bevan’s lap, with no visible injuries. |
| James told the court that Bevan reassured her, saying: ‘I’ve got this’, and she went to bed. | James told the court that Bevan reassured her, saying: ‘I’ve got this’, and she went to bed. |
| She said: “I never thought he would kill my children, never in a million years, and he’s a monster … He needs to rot in hell.” | She said: “I never thought he would kill my children, never in a million years, and he’s a monster … He needs to rot in hell.” |
| James told the court Bevan “smashed up” her home with a hammer after taking the tranquilliser Xanax in May 2021, forcing her to take her children to a friend’s house. | James told the court Bevan “smashed up” her home with a hammer after taking the tranquilliser Xanax in May 2021, forcing her to take her children to a friend’s house. |
| She said he regularly took strong tranquillisers and cannabis, and they both took amphetamines, but only when the children were out. | She said he regularly took strong tranquillisers and cannabis, and they both took amphetamines, but only when the children were out. |
| James said Bevan had pushed her youngest daughter’s buggy into a road on July 2021. She attempted to carry out domestic violence checks on Bevan using Clare’s Law the day before the attack but he refused to give her his date of birth. The court heard that Bevan had said: “I don’t have to give it to you. They won’t find anything on me.” | James said Bevan had pushed her youngest daughter’s buggy into a road on July 2021. She attempted to carry out domestic violence checks on Bevan using Clare’s Law the day before the attack but he refused to give her his date of birth. The court heard that Bevan had said: “I don’t have to give it to you. They won’t find anything on me.” |
| Bevan and James will be sentenced on 25 April. | Bevan and James will be sentenced on 25 April. |