Logan Mwangi, five, 'suffered 56 catastrophic injuries after he was beaten to death by his mother, stepfather and 'violent' boy, 14, before CCTV showed him being dumped in a river like flytipped rubbish', court told

 Five-year-old Logan Mwangi suffered 56 catastrophic injuries to his body after he was allegedly beaten to death by his mother, stepfather and a 'violent' 14-year-old boy, a court heard.   

Logan, a cheerful, chatty and caring little boy, was assaulted with such force at his home in home in Sarn, Bridgend, South Wales, that doctors compared his injuries to a high-speed car crash.His mother Angharad Williamson, 30, her boyfriend John Cole, 40, and a teenage youth are accused of murdering the schoolboy while he was 'hidden away' after testing positive for Coronavirus. 

The little boy was murdered after he caught Covid, before Williamson and Cole dumped his body in a river as if they were 'fly-tipping' rubbish, a court heard. 

The trio allegedly covered-up the horrific crime in an 'elaborate charade' by claiming Logan had gone missing or been kidnapped while in isolation. 

Five-year-old Logan Mwangi suffered 56 catastrophic injuries to his body after he was allegedly beaten to death by his mother, stepfather and a 'violent' 14-year-old boy, a court heard

Logan was found dead on the bank of the River Ogmore near his home village of Sarn, Bridgend County, in July last year

Caroline Rees QC said: 'Logan was a normal five-year-old active and energetic - his isolation period must have been a testing period for him and his family because he had to be confined to home.'

Williamson struggled with parenting Logan and his Covid-related isolation caused frustrations and stresses which came to a head.

'At the time of his death Logan was hidden away from the outside world and there was no scrutiny of what was going on behind closed doors of his home.

'He would not have stood a chance against any one of the defendants, let alone three of them acting together.'

Williamson, dressed in a navy blue blazer and glasses with dark brown hair, appeared distressed and as a summary of the evidence against her and the two other defendants was described by Caroline Rees QC.

She began to cry, becoming more upset as the jury was shown a picture of Logan and the circumstances of the five-year-old's death was described. 

Cole appeared in the dock wearing a light grey v-neck jumper over a white t-shirt and glasses, while the youth defendant appeared via video link from another room in the court wearing a black t-shirt.

The defendants are accused of killing Logan before dumping his body in the River Ogmore near to the family home, as if they were 'fly-tipping' rubbish.

A jury heard Williamson dialled 999 claiming her son had vanished in the night and said he'd been kidnapped from his bed after finding the garden gate open.

Logan's mother, Angharad Williamson, 30, her partner, John Cole, 39, are charged with killing the youngster between July 28 and August 1

The little boy was murdered after he caught Covid, before Williamson and Cole dumped his body in a river as if they were 'fly-tipping' rubbish, a court heard

Williamson was heard calling Logan's name during the 999 call and her partner and the teenage defendant went around asking neighbours if they had seen him. 

Logan was found wearing only mis-matched pyjamas in the river by police a short time later, taken to the town's Princess of Wales Hospital, where he was confirmed dead. 

Ms Rees said: 'At 5.46 Angharad Williamson made a 999 call in which she reported that her five-year-old son was missing.

'Her demeanour was distress and upset - she was screaming "Logan" as if she was shouting for him.

'Williamson was hyperventilating and telling the police to find Logan. Her distress in that call is a completely manufactured and manipulative performance to cover up her involvement in Logan's death.

'Having killed Logan behind closed doors at the family home each of the defendants played their part in a cover up of the true circumstances of his death.'

Logan was found wearing only mis-matched pyjamas in the river by police a short time after the call to 999. 

He was taken to the town's Princess of Wales Hospital, where he was confirmed dead.

Ms Rees said that he had suffered 'significant injuries to his internal organs and his brain which caused his death'.

She added that one pathologist had described his injuries as 'so extreme you would expect to find them as a result of a fall from a great height or a high velocity road traffic accident'. 

The court heard that, on the afternoon of July 30, a social worker made an unscheduled visit to Cole and Williamson's address but was told she could not see Logan because he had tested positive for Covid-19 and was in self-isolation.

Caroline Rees said Williamson reported Logan as being 'a bit up and down'.

The social worker left after 20 minutes, following a conversation about claiming child benefit, tax credits and disability living allowance.

Ms Rees said: 'If, as Angharad Williamson claims in interview, and as we understand her defence case will be, (the youth) and John Cole had severely assaulted Logan the day before, why didn't she tell (the social worker) in her 20-minute visit to the property?

'Who was she protecting and why was she doing it?'

The prosecution told how the three plotted to make a false report that Logan was missing.

Ms Rees said: 'Each was desperate to cover up their involvement in his killing and each prioritised their own self preservation over everything else, particularly over the needs of Logan.

'They disposed of Logan's body as if they were fly-tipping rubbish.'

Referring to the 14-year-old defendant, Ms Rees said: 'The prosecution say his young age was no object to his involvement in the death and cover up, in which we say he took full part.' 

Logan was found by officers on the riverbank on July 31 and taken to the town's Princess of Wales Hospital, where he was confirmed dead. Pictured: Police at the scene

The jury heard CCTV footage from the afternoon of July 29 showed an altercation between Williamson and the youth.

Caroline Rees said there was a 'physical struggle' between Williamson and the youth, which may be explained by comments Williamson made to police in an interview after Logan's death.

'In her interview, Angharad Williamson said that there was an incident on July 29 when Logan was seriously assaulted by Cole and the youth who were acting together,' she said.

Ms Rees told the jury this suggested the attack on Logan had already started by the time of that footage, at 2.52pm on July 29.

'Angharad Williamson failed to do anything to help for over a day,' she said.

Ms Rees questioned why Williamson had failed to help Logan, describing him as a 'vulnerable five-year-old child - her own son who had been attacked by a grown man and a teenager'.

A witness described Williamson as 'hysterical' during the confrontation with the youth on July 29.

Ms Rees said this demonstrated 'that something serious has been going on behind closed doors'.

Cardiff Crown Court heard the energetic and fun-loving schoolboy was dumped in mis-matched pyjamas in the shallows of the river on July 31 last year.

Williamson later handed Logan's stepfather Cole and the youth Logan's ripped pyjama top which they disposed of in the river.

The murder trial heard Logan's injuries were consistent with a fall from a great height or a high-velocity road traffic collision.

He had a fractured shoulder, extensive bleeding to the scalp and back of his head, a significant trauma to the brain, and 56 injuries noted to his head and face, trunk, arms and legs.

Ms Rees said: 'Logan had not drowned - he was already dead when his body arrived at that river.

'Logan died as a result of a brutal and sustained assault upon him inside the home and each of those defendants had a part to play and that was the use of forceful violence causing catastrophic injuries found at post-mortem.'

The jury was told that Cole and the 14-year-old boy were caught on CCTV in the early hours of July 31 leaving the family's address.

Logan was found wearing only mis-matched pyjamas in the river by police a short time after his mother dialled 999. He was taken to the town's Princess of Wales Hospital, where he was confirmed dead

Cole was carrying something in his arms that he has since confirmed that he was carrying Logan's dead body, the court heard.

The pair walked along the riverside path to the spot where Logan's body was found.

During this time, a light could be seen switching on and off in Logan's bedroom, which the prosecution say proves that Williamson was awake and knew what had happened to her son.

Cole and the 14-year-old then returned to the property before heading out again - the prosecution say this trip 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.' 

Ms Rees that the light in Logan's room switching on and off regularly over the course of the night of July 30 and July 31 was proof 'one or all of these defendants was checking on Logan and his injuries following a sustained and brutal assault on him'.

Caroline Rees played the jury footage of two figures leaving the property in the early hours of July 31, telling them: 'There is no issues that these figures are John Cole and the third defendant.

'They are close to one another and the prosecution say it must have been obvious to one what the other one was doing.'

She said a pale cross appearing against Cole's back is understood to be Logan's lifeless arms crossed over his neck.

'In interview the (14-year-old) would say he did not realise John Cole was carrying Logan's dead body,' Ms Rees said.

'The prosecution say the CCTV demonstrates the implausibility of that account.'

She said he was so close to Cole he must have known what he was carrying.

The jury heard Williamson found Logan 'challenging' and that her involvement in his death and her subsequent actions demonstrated a 'fractured' motherly bond.

Ms Rees said Cole and the youth's search of the area was an 'elaborate performance' to cover up their true involvement in Logan's death.

She said: 'John Cole accepts this was put on. He accepts Logan died and he disposed of his body in the river. The other two defendants deny this.'

Williamson, Cole and the youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, all deny murder.

Cole has admitted perverting the course of justice by moving Logan's body, removing his clothing, washing blood-stained bed linen, and making a false missing person report to police.

Williamson and the youth both deny perverting the course of justice.

The trial continues.