‘I will never again hear that giggle or see the smile behind his eyes’
Arthur’s grandmother delivered a victim impact statement on behalf of her daughter, Olivia Labinjo-halcrow, Arthur’s mother. In the statement, Madeleine Halcrow said the boy was yet to have a funeral. It said: “The last time I spoke to my little boy was the most excited I had ever heard him. He knew he was going to see me soon. He asked how many packets of Drumstick Squashies I had saved him. I told him he could have as many packets as he wanted as long as he ate his sausage, mash and peas first.”
“He giggled his usual giggle. I will never again hear that giggle or hear him say ‘I love you mummy bear’.
“He will never get his Drumstick Squashies. I will never get to see the smile behind his eyes. Never get to remind him how beautiful he was and how much he was loved.
“Life as I know it will never exist again. Losing Arthur is unquantifiable.
“I don’t think I will ever be able to live a full life again. Grief isn’t the right word. How I feel about losing baby bear Arthur. I feel hollow. Every day I feel like I’m walking around with all the lights turned off.”
Ms Halcrow continued: “All of his family, uncles and grandparents were stopped from seeing or speaking to him.
“He was just a child, he had no one to talk to, no one to ask for help when he was scared and needed protecting the most.”
The statement went on: “They took his sparkle and his naivety from him and then they took him from this world.
“A child, my child, my little love, defenceless, trusting and nothing but loving, was killed. His short life stolen and the hole that it has left in me and those who love Arthur will never be repaired.”