Drug user killed toddler and blamed pet dog, court hears

AN AMPHETAMINE user murdered his girlfriend’s two-year-old daughter in a “frenzied and violent attack” and then tried to blame the family dog, a court has heard.

Kyle Bevan, 31, is accused of killing Lola James in July 2020, four months after moving in with the girl’s mother in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire.

The toddler had 101 external injuries including damage to both eyes and “catastrophic” head trauma when she died.

But Mr Bevan, who had been alone with the toddler on the night in question, claimed the injuries had been caused when she was accidentally pushed down the stairs by their dog.

Opening the case against him and Lola’s mother, Sinead James, 30, who is charged with causing or allowing her death, prosecutor Caroline Rees KC, told Swansea Crown Court that the excuse about the dog had been a “deliberate lie to cover up his guilt”.

Jurors were shown photos that Mr Bevan had taken of Lola’s injuries and a video he shot showing her unconscious and badly injured. They were also shown web searches he made looking for information about babies suffering head impact and loss of consciousness.

Phone records show that at about 6.30am, Mr Bevan Googled “My 2-yearold child has just taken a bang to the head and gone all limp and snoring. What’s wrong?”

Ms Rees said that despite this being an indication that the fatal injuries had already been caused, he waited another hour before calling for an ambulance at around 7.30am.

Ms Rees said: “It is the prosecution case that the injuries sustained by Lola are wholly inconsistent with an accidental injury and show instead that she was the victim of what must have been a frenzied, brutal and violent attack at the hands of somebody she should have been able to trust.”

Miss James claimed she was asleep at the time, which is accepted by the prosecution. But Ms Rees said Miss James should have been aware of the threat Mr Bevan posed to Lola.

“She knew her children had sustained injuries whilst in Kyle Bevan’s care in the past and she knew he had a nasty and violent temper,” she said.

The defendants deny the charges. The trial continues.