A two-year-old girl suffered 101 injuries when she was killed by her stepfather, who later claimed the family dog pushed her down the stairs, a murder trial took place today. The girl was murdered on July 21, 2020.
lola james suffered a catastrophic brain injury after being attacked by her mother’s boyfriend, Kyle Bevan, 31, at his home in Pembrokeshire. He’s in custody, charged with the crime.
Mother, sinead james, 30, told police he was asleep when Lola suffered a series of horrific injuries, saying he had no reason to believe Bevan would harm her. The woman is also accused of causing or enabling her death.
According to the court, James failed to protect his daughter when he allowed Bevan to move into his home.. Lola died just four months after he moved out of a “frantic and extremely violent fit”.
Doctors at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff found 101 superficial wounds on Lola including “bruises all over the little body and burns on the skin.”
He also suffered extensive damage to all of his retinas, as well as catastrophic brain injuries, and died four days later, just two years and nine months.
Prosecutor Caroline Rees KC said Bevan searched the internet for information about “infants with head injuries and loss of consciousness” on the morning of the alleged attack, July 17, 2020.
He also took photos and videos of Lola’s swollen head after her injuries. But the trial heard he waited almost an hour before raising the alarm at the family home in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire.
Swansea Crown Court has heard that mother James knew her boyfriend had “a mean and violent temper” but chose to “prioritize her relationship with him over her daughter’s physical safety”.
Ms Rees said: “We’re saying that although Kyle Bevan wasn’t biologically the father of Lola, she should have been able to trust him as an adult in her home not to cause him any harm.”
“Let’s say she grossly abused that trust. Let’s also say Lola should have been able to trust her mother to keep her safe from harm and physical harm.”
Sinead James, according to the indictment, grossly violated her duties towards her daughter.” The court heard Bevan search the internet at 6:32 before waiting until 7:28 to tell her mother Alison Bevan to call an ambulance.
“The indictment says Kyle Bevan needed that hour to make up lies to protect himself. and to make up an excuse for how this little boy had gone from being alive and well to being in such a dangerous state while she was alone with him.
He needed time to cover his tracks. When paramedics arrived they found Lola was clothed but she was wet and Lola was badly injured.
He was unconscious, though still breathing, and his head and face were swollen. Bruises were observed on Lola’s forehead. Kyle Bevan kept trying to explain things blaming the family dog for pushing Lola down the stairs.
“The prosecution says it was a deliberate lie to cover up his guilt.”
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.