A tragic timeline of red flags
April 12, 2012 Leon Jayet-Cole is taken to hospital by ambulance with a badly lacerated tongue. Emma and James Roberts say he’d fallen off a chair. After Leon’s death, police find it had been deliberately inflicted.
September 2012 Respite carer says Emma had slapped another child in the household across the head. Police and CYFS tipped off.
January 2013 Another child taken to hospital with facial injuries and bruising. Authorities told he’d been spinning excitedly at home, fell, and hit the TV.
January 21-24, 2013 Leon’s father Michael Cole receives threatening text messages and phone call from James Roberts. Report made to police but no further action taken.
July 2014 Other child hospitalised with “unwitnessed” head injury at home.
September 2014 School rings police after spotting forehead bruises on another child and are not convinced by Emma’s explanation.
April 7, 2015 Children found home alone at Lambeth Crescent.
April 8, 2015 Police warn James Roberts after he threatened a Ministry of Social Development investigator.
May 5, 2015 Neighbour phones police saying James Roberts had appeared on her front lawn and threatened her with a knife. Police called to the house three times that day.
May 21, 2015 Leon arrives at school with “concussion-like symptoms/ vomiting”. Photos taken by teachers and Emma contacted to pick him up.
May 27, 2015 Leon rushed to hospital with serious head injuries and dies the next day.