A two-year-old girl suffered 101 injuries when she was killed by her stepfather, who later alleged that the family dog pushed her down the stairs, a murder trial was heard today. The girl was murdered on July 21, 2020.
Lola James she had a catastrophic brain injury after being attacked by her mother’s boyfriend, Kyle Bevan, 31, at his Pembrokeshire home. He is in custody, accused of the crime.
Mother, Sinead James, 30, told police he was sleeping when Lola sustained a series of horrific injuries, saying he had no reason to believe Bevan would harm her. The woman is also accused of causing or allowing 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 in from a “frenzied and extremely violent attack.”
Lola James was beaten to death by her father.
Doctors at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff found 101 superficial injuries on Lola, including “bruises all over his little body and burns on the skin.”
He also suffered extensive damage to all of his retinas, as well as catastrophic brain injury, and died four days later, at just two years and nine months old.
Prosecutor Caroline Rees KC said Bevan searched the internet for information about ‘infants suffering head injuries and loss of consciousness’ on the morning of the alleged attack, July 17, 2020.
He also took photos and video of Lola’s swollen head after her injuries. But the trial heard that he waited almost an hour before raising the alarm at the family’s home in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire.
Sinead James, Lola’s mother, also charged.
The Swansea Crown Court heard that mother James knew her boyfriend had “a nasty and violent character” but chose to “prioritize her relationship with him over the physical safety of her own daughter”.
Mrs Rees said: ‘We are saying that although Kyle Bevan was not Lola’s father biologically, she should have been able to trust him as an adult in her home not to cause him any harm.’
“We say that she grossly abused that trust. We also say that Lola should have been able to trust her own mother to keep her safe from harm and physical risk.”
Kyle Bevan, the 31-year-old murderer.
Sinead James, according to the indictment, seriously breached her duty to her daughter.’ The court heard Bevan carried out Internet searches at 6.32am before she waited until 7.28am to tell her mother Alison Bevan to call a ambulance.
“The prosecution says that 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 the paramedics arrived they found that Lola had been dressed but she was wet and Lola was badly injured.
Lola James had more than 100 injuries.
He was unconscious, although he was still breathing, and his head and face were swollen. Bruises were observed on Lola’s forehead. Kyle Bevan continued to try 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.”