GUILTY UK - Arthur Labinjo Hughes, 6, killed, dad & friend arrested, June 2020 #3

[SpursGyal]

Hughes told police he smacked Arthur on legs
Judge Wall refers to the remarks Hughes said to various staff when he followed Arthur to hospital.

He states Hughes also told a police officer he smacked Arthur on the legs and then cried about it in the shower afterwards.

Hughes had also commented he had not paid enough attention to Arthur recently by not showering him, giving him toast or playing football with him.

Judge Wall turns to the evidence of Tustin's ex-partner Shane Hawkins.

Mr Hawkins had said she had never used their children as a weapon against him. He expressed surprise at the notion of his own son hitting another child.

 

[Carroll520]

It's so awful. Thank God the judge is doing a brilliant job. So so sad. Hope your ok and surviving all this bloody awful trail xx

Its hard to hear it all together like this isnt it. The judge seems to be very much of the opinion there is nothing positive to say about them both. I thought they would be more impartial but glad they are not. I hope you are ok too. Its very very heavy, but lets hope Justice for Arthur is near

 

[Powermjp]

Tustin claimed she had 's***' off Arthur for months'
Welcome back.

Judge Wall reminds the jury of the various accounts of emergency services workers who attended Tustin's home.

He turns to what Tustin said to a police officer which was captured on body worn camera footage.

The court is reminded of how Tustin claimed Arthur had headbutted her when she tried to stop him headbutting the floor.

Tustin was also heard saying they had had 's***' off Arthur for months and that he had 'battered' her and Hughes

I don't think she even realises what a disgusting thing that is to say about a child who just died, just no normal emotions, psychopath.

 

[SpursGyal]

Hughes claims he was deliberately taking blame for Tustin'
Moving on to the events in custody, Judge Wall says Hughes banged his head against the wall repeatedly and also stood facing the wall for several minutes.

He states Tustin appeared to collapse in her cell but she was unharmed.

The judge turns to the defendants' police interviews. He states Tustin gave a very long answer to the open-ended question of 'what happened?' in her first interview, which she expanded upon in subsequent interviews.

Judge Wall says Hughes barely accepted any responsibility at all in his first interview but then went on to accept responsibility for hitting Arthur in subsequent interviews.

He reminds the court in between he had shared a prison van with Tustin on the way to court in order for Magistrates to sanction for them to b detained in custody for longer.

Judge Wall states Tustin's position is that Hughes was telling the truth in his later interviews. He adds that Hughes now claims he was deliberately taking the blame for Tustin, in order to protect his unborn baby she was carrying at the time.

 

[Helleux301]

The fact his thymus had shrunk is so upsetting too. I think Gabriel Fernandez was the same, very real evidence of the level of stress experienced

It's so awful. Thank God the judge is doing a brilliant job. So so sad. Hope your ok and surviving all this bloody awful trail xx

Its hard to hear it all together like this isnt it. The judge seems to be very much of the opinion there is nothing positive to say about them both. I thought they would be more impartial but glad they are not. I hope you are ok too. Its very very heavy, but lets hope Justice for Arthur is near

 

[Helleux301]

I really think justice is going to happen in this case. Plus hefty sentences fingers crossed, judging by the judges summing up remarks I think a quilty verdict and he's going to hammer them both

 

[SpursGyal]

Tustin claimed she 'heard a bang'
The Judge continues with Tustin's evidence.

She said after they returned from the hairdresser's home on June 16, that Hughes took Arthur upstairs and shouted at him in the bedroom behind the closed door.

Describing the events before Arthur's collapse she claimed she went out to Arthur in the hallway around three times because he was on all-fours trying to headbutt the floor.

She insisted she told Arthur he would hurt himself.

Tustin said she was in the living room when she heard a 'crack'. She denied hitting Arthur causing his collapse and claimed she heard a bang.

Judge Wall moves on to some of the key comments she made under cross-examination.

.

 

[SpursGyal]

Tustin had denied salt poisoning
The jury is reminded that Tustin admitted there was 'no purpose' to forcing Arthur to stand but that she felt it was 'important he follow the rule'.

She conceded when Arthur was in the hallway he was 'out of sight out of mind'.

In response to an allegation she 'policed' Arthur, Tustin claimed she recorded the audio clips of him because that's what Hughes wanted her to do.

She accepted the prosecution's assertion her behaviour was 'pitiless'. Tustin confessed she was now 'ashamed' of how she spoke about Arthur in text messages.

She once again denied salt poisoning her step-mum. She had told the court she followed an 'old wives' tale' in her family and used salt on her genitals to relieve pain and stinging. She believed that was as a result of the long-term effects of her suicide attempt.

 

[SpursGyal]

Judge turns to Hughes evidence
The judge moves on to Hughes' evidence.

He states Hughes accepted he was 'partly' responsible for making Arthur stand and that he went 'beyond what was reasonable'.

Judge Wall says Hughes agreed he isolated Arthur from his family and within the home. He had told the court he thought he was disciplining Arthur but it was the wrong type of discipline for him.

The Judge tells the jury that despite his not guilty pleas Hughes effectively does not contest counts two and three, relating to child cruelty by forcing Arthur to stand in isolation and wilfully assaulting him .

Judge Wall reiterates that Hughes denies being responsible for Arthur's death, denies starving or thirsty him as well as poisoning him with salt.

Turning to the early days of their relationship. Hughes had said it was a 'big feature' that Tustin made him 'choose sides'.

 

[SpursGyal]

Hughes 'ashamed, disappointed and angry' with himself'
Hughes had claimed Tustin told him he 'had to be on the same page' as her, adding she would 'threaten to split up with me once a week'.

The judge reminds the jury of Hughes' account that Tustin encouraged him to lie to social services in April otherwise they would have their children taken from them.

Hughes had told the court he did not stop Arthur's standing punishment because he wanted to avoid confrontation with Tustin.

He added he was now 'ashamed, disappointed and angry' with himself.

Hughes explained Arthur started sleeping in the living room after he fell out with Tustin's son.

Hughes had claimed his use of the phrase he would 'end him' meant he would end Arthur's 'period of behaviour'.

 

[Helleux301]

Hughes 'ashamed, disappointed and angry' with himself'
Hughes had claimed Tustin told him he 'had to be on the same page' as her, adding she would 'threaten to split up with me once a week'.

The judge reminds the jury of Hughes' account that Tustin encouraged him to lie to social services in April otherwise they would have their children taken from them.

Hughes had told the court he did not stop Arthur's standing punishment because he wanted to avoid confrontation with Tustin.

He added he was now 'ashamed, disappointed and angry' with himself.

Hughes explained Arthur started sleeping in the living room after he fell out with Tustin's son.

Hughes had claimed his use of the phrase he would 'end him' meant he would end Arthur's 'period of behaviour'.

Oh as if he meant ending Arthur's period of "behaviour". He is remorseless imo. If he'd of admitted his role and shown genuine remorse. Genuine acceptance of his role in Arthur's death I'd have just a smidgen of leniency towards him, but he hasn't. I'd hoped he was, I was willing to believe she was the main catalyst of it all, but not now. Imo they egged each other on in their pursuit of cruelty and murder

 

[Helleux301]

Sorry this is just beyond belief. The hairdresser saw and heard all of this! The day before he died another adult saw Arthur in this state and did nothing?!!! Sorry have I misunderstood? What kind of country is this?

Exactly this. Says it all

 

[squish]

Hughes 'ashamed, disappointed and angry' with himself'
Hughes had claimed Tustin told him he 'had to be on the same page' as her, adding she would 'threaten to split up with me once a week'.

The judge reminds the jury of Hughes' account that Tustin encouraged him to lie to social services in April otherwise they would have their children taken from them.

Hughes had told the court he did not stop Arthur's standing punishment because he wanted to avoid confrontation with Tustin.

He added he was now 'ashamed, disappointed and angry' with himself.

Hughes explained Arthur started sleeping in the living room after he fell out with Tustin's son.

Hughes had claimed his use of the phrase he would 'end him' meant he would end Arthur's 'period of behaviour'.

Bits bolded by me: "ashamed disappointed and angry with myself" is what you might say to your boss if you've been caught red handed breaking a rule at work. Not torturing or murdering your 6 year old son.

"End him" is one of many such murder wishes, but this is the only one he could come up with an excuse for.

 

[Helleux301]

I don't think she even realises what a disgusting thing that is to say about a child who just died, just no normal emotions, psychopath.

Totally agree. She's totally unaware of how appalling she is. I don't think until now she's ever been held accountable

 

[SpursGyal]

Tustin told Hughes he did not care about unborn child
Hughes had claimed he searched for a Taser after reading a news article about an ex-footballer being Tasered for too long by a policeman.

He accepted he called Arthur a c***. Hughes had also admitted he went around to speak to Tustin's neighbour because 'the walls were thin' and he was worried she would 'hear half a conversation and jump to the wrong conclusion'.

He had stated he was looking for a hotel to move out of Tustin's home.

Judge Wall says Hughes alleged by the end of May Tustin was becoming more upset with Arthur.

He had said Tustin regularly told him he did not care about his unborn baby.

 

[SpursGyal]

Hughes denied treating Arthur like 'punchbag'
Judge Wall reiterates Hughes' position that he only made his admissions in police interviews after the prison journey with Tustin, because he was 'trying to protect Emma so our child would be protected'.

Hughes had claimed he only found out Tustin had an abortion in custody when she said so during the trial.

He denied he treated Arthur like a 'punchbag' but accepted he bottled things up before 'exploding'.

Hughes accepted he said he could not hit Tustin or her children but denied that that only left Arthur for him to take out his frustrations on.

Judge Wall states Hughes agreed he told hospital staff Arthur's imminent death was 'all my fault' because at the time he felt he had 'failed' as a parent and was 'feeling a lot of guilt'.

Hughes had acknowledged saying there was a 'clash of egos' between him and Arthur but stated he meant 'clash of personalities'.

The Judge states he denied taking Arthur into the bedroom and poisoning him with salt. In cross-examination from the prosecution, Hughes said he valued Tustin's love over Arthur's welfare in the end, but denied they shared a common purpose to maintain their relationship over Arthur's expense.

 

[squish]

I'm hoping today for murder for the pair of them, even though I'm still not convinced that legally, TH could be said to have encouraged the murder beyond reasonable doubt. But that's what he deserves, as the main abuser (IMO) prior to the murder.

In the Star Hobson case, I'm hoping for murder for the girlfriend and for them to throw the book at her, and causing or allowing for Star's mother, with a lenient sentence.

 

[SpursGyal]

Jury retires to consider verdicts
Judge Wall concludes the summary of Hughes' evidence.

He reminds the jury of the contributions of his brother Andrew Hughes' as well as Tustin's cellmate Elaine Pritchard.

And with that he concludes his summary of the evidence in its entirety.

Judge Wall gives the jury some final directions.

He says they must select a spokesperson to read out the verdicts. He says their verdicts must be 'unanimous' adding there are times when jury's can reach majority decisions, but they will be called back into court if and when that time comes in this case.

Judge Wall reiterates that the current position is that they must reach verdicts of 11 to nil, given one of the jurors has been discharged due to health reasons.

Finally, he addresses the typical question of how long the jury will have to come to their decisions.

"It takes as long as it takes," he adds.

Judge Wall says the jury will have until 4pm to deliberate today. He formally sends them out

 

[SpursGyal]

And now we wait.

I’d be highly surprised if we have a verdict today, but I imagine by lunch tomorrow.

 

[elliefant]

Thank you @SpursGyal