Mother said her son had Covid before body found
Boy ‘murdered in family home’ was denied care visit because parent claimed he was isolating, jury hears
‘Logan would not have stood a chance against any one of these defendants, let alone three of them acting together’
THE mother of a five-year-old boy told a social worker he had Covid the day before his body was found, a court has heard on the first day of a murder trial.
Logan Mwangi was found dead just 400 metres from his family home in Bridgend, Wales, on July 31 last year. He had sustained 56 external injuries.
His mother Angharad Williamson, 30, her partner John Cole, 40, and a 14-yearold boy who cannot be named for legal reasons are on trial for his murder.
Yesterday Cardiff Crown Court heard that they “killed Logan behind closed doors in the family home” before trying to cover up his death.
Jurors heard that on July 30, the day before Logan was found dead, a social worker made an unscheduled visit to the family home but was told she could not see Logan because he had tested positive for Covid and was in selfisolation.
Caroline Rees QC, prosecuting, said Ms Williamson reported Logan as being “a bit up and down”, prompting the social worker to leave after 20 minutes following a conversation about claiming child benefit, tax credits and disability living allowance.
Ms Rees suggested to the jury that the alleged attack which ultimately led to Logan’s death had already started by the time the social worker had visited the family home.
The jury heard that in her initial police interview, Ms Williamson told officers there was an incident on July 29 when Logan was “seriously assaulted by Cole and the youth who were acting together”. At 2.52pm on the same day, CCTV footage showed a “physical struggle” between Ms Williamson and the youth, and witnesses described her as being “hysterical” during the confrontation.
Ms Rees said this demonstrated “that something serious has been going on behind closed doors”.
The court heard how Logan was first reported missing to police at 5.46am on July 31 by his mother, who cried down the phone and sounded as if she was “hyperventilating”.
But Ms Rees described the 999 call as “an elaborate charade”, arguing that Ms Williamson already knew what had happened to her son and that she did little to protect him in the days leading up to his death.
The jury was told that in the early hours of the morning, CCTV cameras captured two figures leaving the property who the prosecution allege are Mr Cole and the young defendant.
The cameras picked up a pale cross appearing against Mr Cole’s back, which the court heard is understood to be Logan’s lifeless arms crossed over his neck.
During this time, CCTV cameras also captured a light being switched on and off in Logan’s bedroom, which the prosecution say proves that Ms Williamson was awake and knew what had happened to her son.
Mr Cole and the 14-year-old then returned to the property before heading out again, which the prosecution say was to dispose of Logan’s bloodied pyjama top.
Ms Rees said: “Angharad Williamson must have been awake and up and about, fully aware Logan had died and that his body had been dumped in the river by her partner – disposed of like they were fly-tipping rubbish.”
Paying tribute to “chatty, polite, kind and caring” Logan, Ms Rees told the court that he was widely known as a “lovely little boy”.
The court heard that he suffered “severe injuries” to his internal organs and brain compared to “a fall from a great height or a high velocity road traffic collision”.
“Logan would not have stood a chance against any one of these defendants, let alone three of them acting together,” Ms Rees added.
Ms Rees said it was the prosecution’s case that Logan had been subjected to a “brutal and sustained assault” by Mr Cole and the teenage boy on July 30 while he was “hidden from view, behind closed doors” in the family home. Ms Williamson and the youth deny murder and perverting the course of justice, while Mr Cole denies murder but admits perverting the course of justice.
The trial, before Mrs Justice Jefford, continues.