Boy’s fatal brain trauma was among 130 injuries, court told
A BOY, aged six, who was allegedly abused and then murdered by his father and stepmother, had more than 130 injuries all over his body, a court has heard.
Arthur Labinjo-hughes died in hospital in June last year from an unsurvivable brain injury after what prosecutors claim was a “campaign of cruelty”, amounting to “torture”.
Jurors at Coventry Crown Court were told the youngster had 30 injuries on his head and neck alone.
Pictures shown to the jury of some of the bruises have now been released along with recordings of the boy crying “no one loves me” and “no one’s going to feed me”.
Thomas Hughes, 29, and Emma Tustin, 32, deny murdering Arthur and claim he suffered a fatal collapse while at home in Solihull, West Midlands.
The pair also face multiple counts of child cruelty, after it was alleged the boy was force-fed salt-laced meals, kept isolated in the home, starved, dehydrated and routinely beaten.
Arthur fatally collapsed while he and his father were staying at Ms Tustin’s home during the first Covid lockdown.
The jury has heard from one witness who described how Arthur looked “broken” just a few weeks after he moved in. The trial also previously heard that the boy did not have his own bed and had to sleep on a mattress on the lounge floor.
CCTV footage shown to the jury revealed how the boy struggled to pick up and then put away his pillow and blanket after waking at 8.36am.
Ms Tustin has admitted one count of child cruelty but denies two other similar charges.
The trial was paused yesterday and is due to resume later this week.