Stepdad denies hitting five-year-old in stomach
A STEPFATHER accused of murdering a five-year-old boy has denied killing him or being violent and abusive to him, a court heard on Monday.
John Cole, 40, denied he had punched Logan Mwangi and instead accused the boy’s mother, Angharad Williamson, 30, of shaking him.
Cole, of Maesglas, Ynysawdre, Bridgend, and Williamson, of Lower Llansantffraid, Sarn, Bridgend, both deny murder.
A third defendant, a youth who cannot be named for legal reasons due to his age, has also pleaded not guilty to murder and all are on trial at Cardiff Crown Court.
Logan was discovered in the River Ogmore in Pandy Park, Bridgend, on the morning of July 31, 2021, close to the flat where he lived with his family. The child, also known as Logan Williamson, had suffered catastrophic injuries similar to those found in victims of high-speed crashes or a fall from a height.
The court heard that in the week of Logan’s death, Cole and Williamson were shutting him in his bedroom away from the rest of the household as he had Covid-19.
Giving evidence, Cole told the jury Logan did not want to stay in his room and, in the days before he died, he and Williamson had to repeatedly put him back there.
He also explained that if Logan was naughty, he would be punished by having to stand in the “naughty corner” in the hallway for five-minute intervals for throwing toys and jumping off the furniture.
Peter Rouch QC, defending Williamson, suggested a comment a neighbour made two days before Logan’s body was found of “Baldy is going bananas” was Cole losing his temper.
“You were out of control and going bananas on the Thursday,” Mr Rouch said.
“You have a loud and aggressive voice? Did you speak to Logan in a loud and aggressive manner?”
Cole, who is 6ft 4in and weighs between 14st and 15st, replied: “I shouted at Logan, yes. We both used to shout at Logan. I wasn’t aggressive to Logan.”
Mr Rouch asked: “When you had him in the hallway, did you say, ‘Why are you flinching, you’re always flinching?’
“Did you say, words to the effect, ‘ You have got to stop him flinching when I’m around him otherwise social services will be concerned?’ Cole replied: “No.”
Mr Rouch asked: “You were there in the hallway towering over him and you said, ‘ The only thing he understands is pain’.
“You hit him twice in the stomach and he fell back on to his backside.”
Cole replied: “No, I did not hit
Logan in the stomach.”
Mr Rouch suggested: “You said to the youth, ‘If he flinches again, take him down’.
“I am going to suggest Logan started to try and speak, he stammered, and the youth did what you told him to do and took him down.
“He hit him with his leg, so his feet were taken from him, and Logan fell down and as he fell the youth pressed his head on to the floor?”
Cole replied: “He did not touch Logan, I did not touch Logan. Neither of us hit him.”
The defendant explained they had rowed after Williamson had shaken Logan and she had taken him back to his bedroom.
Mr Rouch said: “Did she say, ‘I’m sick of these rows and I’m going to leave you’ and you said, ‘If you do, I’ll kill him’, meaning Logan?”
Mr Rouch said Williamson’s case was she went to bed on the night of Logan’s death and did not wake up until 5.30am.
Cole replied: “No. She ran out of the house when I told her to get her hands off Logan when she shook him.”
The barrister said Williamson’s case was she went to bed on the night of Logan’s death until 5.30am after which time he was dead – meaning Cole or the youth defendant were responsible.
“I didn’t punch Logan. I never said Angharad punched him, I have never said that,” Cole said.
“I didn’t kill Logan. Angharad was awake, Angharad woke me up.” He told the jury he went to bed at around midnight and had left Logan alive with Williamson.
“She said she heard Logan take his last breath,” he said.
Asked why he had not questioned Williamson over what happened, Cole replied: “I knew I didn’t kill Logan, so the answer I would get would be too horrific and I didn’t want to know – it would be the youth or Angharad.”
Cole has admitting perverting the course of justice for dumping the boy’s body, but denies murder. Williamson and the youth defendant have both pleaded not guilty to murder and perverting the course of justice.
Williamson and Cole were also charged with causing or allowing the death of a child, which they both deny.
The trial, which is expected to last around eight weeks in total, continues.
Did she say, ‘I’m sick of these rows and I’m going to leave you’ and you said, ‘If you do, I’ll kill him’, meaning Logan?
Peter Rouch QC