This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-65384347
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Lola James: Stepdad and mum jailed over girl's brutal murder | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Mr Justice Martin Griffiths sentenced Kyle Bevan to life in prison for Lola James' murder | Mr Justice Martin Griffiths sentenced Kyle Bevan to life in prison for Lola James' murder |
| Mr Justice Martin Griffiths sentenced Kyle Bevan to life in prison for Lola James' murder | Mr Justice Martin Griffiths sentenced Kyle Bevan to life in prison for Lola James' murder |
| A stepdad who murdered a two-year-old girl after subjecting her to a "brutal" assault has been handed a life sentence and ordered to serve at least 28 years. | |
| Kyle Bevan, 31, inflicted "catastrophic" brain injuries on toddler Lola James in July 2020 | |
| Lola's mother Sinead James, 30, was sentenced to six years for causing or allowing her daughter's death at her home in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire. | |
| Sentencing took place at Swansea Crown Court on Tuesday. | Sentencing took place at Swansea Crown Court on Tuesday. |
| Sinead James and Kyle Bevan were sentenced at Swansea Crown Court | Sinead James and Kyle Bevan were sentenced at Swansea Crown Court |
| Sentencing the pair, Mr Justice Martin Griffiths said Lola died following a "sustained, deliberate and very violent attack". | |
| He added: "I am sure that Kyle Bevan did this as an exercise of power. An assertion of superiority over the only person he could feel superior to - a helpless child. | He added: "I am sure that Kyle Bevan did this as an exercise of power. An assertion of superiority over the only person he could feel superior to - a helpless child. |
| "He has no remorse at all, even now. At the time, he did not even simulate sadness about Lola's injuries and critical condition when everyone around him was distraught." | |
| Addressing the court, the judge said that James "prioritised the relationship with Kyle Bevan over concern for her children". | |
| Lola was attacked on the night between 16 and 17 July 2020 while she was in Bevan's care. | |
| She was left with 101 surface injuries on her body and suffered a "catastrophic" brain trauma. | |
| Lola James was descibed in court as "happy" and "beautiful" | Lola James was descibed in court as "happy" and "beautiful" |
| Bevan, of Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, claimed Lola's injuries had been caused by a fall down the stairs, after the family's dog pushed her. | |
| But Mr Justice Griffiths said Bevan "started to hurt Lola at midnight and carried on until she was unconscious at 6.30am". | |
| She died in hospital in Cardiff on 21 July 2020. | She died in hospital in Cardiff on 21 July 2020. |
| The judge detailed how, in the months before Lola's death, she sustained a number of injuries while in Bevan's care. | |
| He called Lola's death "the culmination of several months of physical child abuse". | He called Lola's death "the culmination of several months of physical child abuse". |
| In a victim impact statement read out to the court, Lola's father Daniel Thomas said: "Lola was as bright as the golden sun. She was beautiful, charming and cheeky. Her laugh would fill the room with pure joy." | |
| "Even as a toddler Lola has a passion for the outdoors and everything out there - the birds, bees and butterflies. | "Even as a toddler Lola has a passion for the outdoors and everything out there - the birds, bees and butterflies. |
| "As a parent, all I could hope for was for her to continue to grow with happiness and health. With the courage in her heart to know she could be anything and do anything she wanted. This will never be now. | "As a parent, all I could hope for was for her to continue to grow with happiness and health. With the courage in her heart to know she could be anything and do anything she wanted. This will never be now. |
| "Lola won't have another birthday, or ride a bike, or listen to her favourite story. | "Lola won't have another birthday, or ride a bike, or listen to her favourite story. |
| "She won't sing her favourite songs, and I will never get to meet my daughter as a teenager or a woman. | "She won't sing her favourite songs, and I will never get to meet my daughter as a teenager or a woman. |
| "All I have left are memories of a beautiful baby and dreams of the child she can never become. | "All I have left are memories of a beautiful baby and dreams of the child she can never become. |
| "I constantly imagine how she would sound and what she would find funny. I miss Lola every single day and my heart hurts every single day. | "I constantly imagine how she would sound and what she would find funny. I miss Lola every single day and my heart hurts every single day. |
| "I am grateful that Kyle and Sinead are recognised for Lola's cruel, defenceless murder. | "I am grateful that Kyle and Sinead are recognised for Lola's cruel, defenceless murder. |
| "But it doesn't bring me joy. As any parent can imagine, as any human can imagine, it will never come close to being enough. | "But it doesn't bring me joy. As any parent can imagine, as any human can imagine, it will never come close to being enough. |
| "Lola didn't just die. She wasn't just taken from me in the worst way ever possible. She was brutally attacked. | "Lola didn't just die. She wasn't just taken from me in the worst way ever possible. She was brutally attacked. |
| "Her tiny body was savaged in the evilest way. She didn't stand a chance. Lola's little life was filled with filth and chaos at the hands of her mother, who couldn't even provide her with basic safety in her own home. | "Her tiny body was savaged in the evilest way. She didn't stand a chance. Lola's little life was filled with filth and chaos at the hands of her mother, who couldn't even provide her with basic safety in her own home. |
| Listen: Sinead James makes a 999 call claiming her daughter had been injured after falling down the stairs | |
| Listen: Sinead James makes a 999 call claiming her daughter had been injured after falling down the stairs | |
| "The guilt I feel lives inside me and will never leave, as the memory of Lola lying in a hospital bed fighting to stay alive will remain with me always. All I have been left with is guilt, heartache, pain, and torment." | "The guilt I feel lives inside me and will never leave, as the memory of Lola lying in a hospital bed fighting to stay alive will remain with me always. All I have been left with is guilt, heartache, pain, and torment." |
| Lola's grandmother, Nicola James, spoke directly to Bevan as she read her victim impact statement at the hearing. | |
| Addressing the court from the witness box while Sinead James wept, she began by addressing her granddaughter's killer directly, telling him: "Look at me, Kyle. | |
| "There isn't a single moment of any day that I don't think of Lola. I don't think I'll ever come to terms with what has happened. | "There isn't a single moment of any day that I don't think of Lola. I don't think I'll ever come to terms with what has happened. |
| Sinead James' claim she was asleep when her daughter's injuries were caused was accepted in court | |
| "Lola Patricia James was just two years and 10 months old when she was murdered. | "Lola Patricia James was just two years and 10 months old when she was murdered. |
| "I constantly blame myself for what has happened. Why didn't I see something? Why didn't I notice? | "I constantly blame myself for what has happened. Why didn't I see something? Why didn't I notice? |
| "I blame everyone and everything in the attempt to try and understand why and how this has happened. | "I blame everyone and everything in the attempt to try and understand why and how this has happened. |
| "Lola was my cheeky monkey. If there was any mischief to be done in the house, she would be the one that was involved. | "Lola was my cheeky monkey. If there was any mischief to be done in the house, she would be the one that was involved. |
| "If I said no to something, she would do it anyway. She was so independent. | "If I said no to something, she would do it anyway. She was so independent. |
| "Lola would spend her days with me dancing around the garden, eating the strawberries and apples that we'd grown and searching for insects, butterflies, and other creepy crawlies. | "Lola would spend her days with me dancing around the garden, eating the strawberries and apples that we'd grown and searching for insects, butterflies, and other creepy crawlies. |
| "She was happiest when she was caked in mud, getting into her shorts and wellies. | "She was happiest when she was caked in mud, getting into her shorts and wellies. |
| "She grew into a charming, smiley, bubbly, mischievous little girl who was such a character. To the outside world she may have appeared shy, but with the one she loved she was outgoing and cheeky." | "She grew into a charming, smiley, bubbly, mischievous little girl who was such a character. To the outside world she may have appeared shy, but with the one she loved she was outgoing and cheeky." |
| Bevan told police Lola had been pushed down the stairs by the family dog | |
| During the trial, jurors heard Bevan and James met on Facebook in February 2020, with Bevan moving into the family home just a few days later. | |
| The toddler's death came months after Bevan, a prolific drug user, moved into the family home in Haverfordwest. | |
| Lola had previously suffered a series of injuries in the months leading up to her death including a bloodied nose, a grazed chin and a split lip. | |
| All of these were covered up by Bevan with a string of excuses, but during the trial the jury ruled they should have made James realise that Bevan was a threat to Lola. | |
| At trial, the court heard a multi-agency referral had been made on behalf of James in January 2020 after a reported domestic violence incident with her former partner at her home. | |
| No visits were made to the address after February 10, the same month Bevan moved into her property. | |
| More than a month later the UK Government triggered the first country-wide Covid-19 pandemic lockdown. | |
| Giving evidence, James said Bevan who was a regular user of amphetamines, Xanax, Valium and cannabis. | |
| She described previous violent incidents, such as when he used a hammer to smash up the home. | |
| John Griffiths, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said Bevan described himself as Lola's "stepfather" but added his actions were "anything but paternal". | |
| "He had inflicted injuries on Lola in the past, but this time his aggression led to him murdering a defenceless child in his care," he added. | |
| "Lola should have been safe in her own home and surrounded by people that she could trust. | |
| "But instead, her mother Sinead James allowed a violent and destructive man into their lives and failed in her duty to protect Lola from harm. " | |
| Mr Griffiths said James was "well aware" that Bevan was a danger, but she "willingly chose to keep him in her life". | |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Haverfordwest | Haverfordwest |
| Aberystwyth | Aberystwyth |
| Neyland | Neyland |