Arthur Labinjo-Hughes was allegedly murdered by his ‘bullying’ dad, and stepmother suffered brain injuries equivalent to those of motorway crash victims, a court heard.
Labinjo-Hughes died with ‘unsurvivable brain injuries’ after allegedly suffering months of abuse, including being poisoned with salt.
It is claimed Emma Tustin, 32, and Thomas Hughes, 29, subjected Arthur to systematic cruelty ‘designed to torture,’ including forcing him to stand on a step for 14 hours a day.
They deny murder and multiple counts of child cruelty.
Trial
Prosecutor Jonas Hankin today told a jury Tustin was at home with Arthur on June 16, 2020, when she inflicted fatal injuries on him in the hallway at 2.29 pm.
The jury was shown footage where Tustin was seen carrying Arthur’s limp body into the kitchen and back into the living room, where she placed him on the floor.
The jury was told she tried to prop Arthur up, but his eyes were closed, and he fell to the side. Tustin then walked into the kitchen and called Hughes.
Tustin then tends to Arthur on the sofa before Hughes arrives at 2.37 pm and begins chest compressions.
Mr. Hankin said Tustin made a call to 999 at 2.42 pm.
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He said: “The call lasted eight minutes. Instructions were being given by the call operator on how to perform rescue breaths.”
The 999 calls were then played to the jury.
Tustin told the operator: “He’s banged his head quite hard.”
Asked if Arthur is breathing, she replies: “Barely breathing in and out.”
Tustin is then heard to say: “We’ve been having a little bit of trouble with him the last couple of months.”
She adds: “He’s thrown himself on the floor. Headbutted the floor.”
Tustin then says: “Big bang he’s knocked himself out. He is breathing. He’s barely breathing.”
She later adds: “Got big lumps on his head where he’s banged himself.”
Mr. Hankin told the court during the 999 calls, a neighbor came into the living room and took over compressions on Arthur.
Arthur suffered an “unsurvivable” brain injury at his home in Cranmore Road, Solihull.
He died during the early hours of the following day.
