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

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To my understanding, the other children were treated fine. Arthur was singled out. It is not uncommon in dysfunctional or narcissistic homes, for one child to become the family scapegoat and take on all the blame from the rest of the family members. Emma may have been suffering from depression, but I also believe she is a narcissist or something. She lacks empathy and she encouraged this kind of abusive behavior. I do not feel sorry for either of them and hope they don’t get off easy. They both still keep insisting Arthur was a naughty boy and that just infuriates me.
 
Chessgirl said:
To my understanding, the other children were treated fine. Arthur was singled out. It is not uncommon in dysfunctional or narcissistic homes, for one child to become the family scapegoat and take on all the blame from the rest of the family members. Emma may have been suffering from depression, but I also believe she is a narcissist or something. She lacks empathy and she encouraged this kind of abusive behavior. I do not feel sorry for either of them and hope they don’t get off easy. They both still keep insisting Arthur was a naughty boy and that just infuriates me.
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Yes, you are right.
The little boy became a "punching bag" for two frustrated adults.

That is why the accused didnt want the boy to live with grandparents.
He could find release for his aggression on him.

He might have also, unconsciously, wanted to punish the child's mother (who probably left him for another man, whom she later murdered).

Of those 2 accused I blame him more.
Arthur was HIS son and responsibility.

MOO.
 
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I have never in my life heard of salt being used to treat a UTI and I have had plenty of them before. Surely it would be very painful and stingy? I think she made that up with her defence to explain why she was on cctv walking about the house with a bottle of salt.

Even if Tustin is telling the truth about Hughes being abusive she could have easily ended the situation at any time with one phone call. Instead she went along with abusing a child.
 
Personally I don't believe a word she says....it's all "poor me, what about me" and that fits more with all the text messages, audio recordings etc than the meek, innocent victim, personality she's attempting to portray here.
The medical evidence suggests poor Arthur consumed at least 6 teaspoons of salt and sustained the fatal injuries in a time frame when she was the adult present, not Thomas Hughes. Looking forward to hearing her explanation for how that occurred
 
June 15th

The court was then played a clip which showed Arthur asleep in the living room at 7am on June 15.

Mr Hankin described what happened during the next clip at 7.06am: "Emma Tustin walks into the living room. She quickly pulls the duvet from underneath causing him to roll over unexpectedly."

Arthur was seen standing in the living room and appeared to be crying.

Murder trial hears how six-year-old's dad said 'tie some rope around his mouth'

Prosecutors allege the footage shows accused Emma Tustin, 32, holding the bottle on the evening before the death of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes.

A clip of 'unsteady' Arthur falling over on the living room carpet before being struck by Tustin was also shown to the court. [...]

Opening the case prosecutor Jonas Hankin stated Tustin was the 'only possible perpetrator' behind the alleged fatal assault on Arthur on June 16 because she was looking after him alone at the time.

Arthur Labinjo-Hughes murder trial: Father threatened to gag son with a rope, court hears | Daily Mail Online

At 9.52pm, CCTV showed Arthur walking into the living room from the hallway clutching his duvet.

At this point, he had spent around 14 hours and 19 minutes in the hallway before he fell asleep on the living room floor despite free beds being available upstairs, it was said.

Stepmum 'ate McDonald's while boy, 6, stood for 14 HOURS in hall before murder'


June 16th

Evidence then moved on to cover June 16, the day Arthur collapsed.

Arthur was seen on CCTV waking up in the living room just after 8.30am.


Prosecutor Jonas Hankin QC told Coventry Crown Court : "Arthur wakes up and stands. He appears to be struggling to fold his duvet. He appears to be crying and struggling on his feet. He drags his duvet on the floor out of the living room."

Arthur Labinjo-Hughes dad told girlfriend 'just end him' - court hears

A DAD was out buying a birthday cake for his partner when his six-year-old son was murdered by her, a court heard today.

'Bully' dad 'bought bday cake' as 'starved son, 6, lay dying after murder'

Outlining the law to the jury Mr Hankin said: "The prosecution case is that the defendants bear equal responsibility for Arthur's death.

"In the weeks preceding it they collaborated in a campaign of cruelty intending to cause Arthur significant harm and suffering. Violence and intimidation, both physical and verbal, were routine."

Harrowing murder trial hears how six-year-old boy cried 'no one loves me'

She told the court Arthur would have felt 'rejected and saddened' by the fact he was made to sleep on the living room floor. Then in response to the boy allegedly being made to stand in isolation for up to 14 hours a day Dr Dixon said: "The idea of standing for more than 13 hours would seem interminable. It would seem to him that it was never going to end."

She added: "I would put forward that the threat was so great that he maintained that position in compliance with a directive he was given in a way I don't think many adults would be able to achieve."

Dr Dixon said the fact Tustin recorded more than 200 audio clips of Arthur supported her conclusion he was 'subjected to very significant ill-treatment'.

"In some of the clips he appears to be pleading. It is an extensive catalogue of Arthur's wishes and feelings, they evidenced he very clearly and repeatedly articulated his hunger, his thirst, discomfort and sadness.

"What's recorded by one of the carers is sent by message to the other carer. In my opinion it is inconceivable a reasonable carer would be unaware these prolonged episodes of isolation, forced standing and control of access to food and drink were the cause of Arthur's distressed state.

The expert argued any reasonable carer would have taken urgent 'alternative' or 'remedial' action to alleviate Arthur's stress. She declared it is 'unfathomable' the defendants did not do so in this case, the court heard.

Boy would have felt 'saddened' at being 'made to sleep on floor', expert says


Judge Wall relays a question from the jury and asks when the living room CCTV was installed. DC Herrick confirms the first recording was from 7am on June 12, 2020.

Girlfriend accused of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes murder takes the stand
 
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10:23KEY EVENT
Emma Tustin back on the stand on day 25
Good morning.

You join us on day 25 of the trial. The jury is in court.


Emma Tustin returns to the witness box.


10:30TONY LARNER
'I'm going to chin this little c***.'
Mary Prior resumes with the events at the end of May 2020. She relays a text exchange between Tustin and Hughes.

She asks if it is an example of Hughes being in the house in bed while Tustin was downstairs.

Tustin: "It is."

During the text messages Tustin referred to Arthur as 'cheeky little t***' and 'd*******' before saying: "I'm going to chin this little c***."

Asked what she meant Tustin says: "I didn't mean I was actually going to chin him. It was just frustrations bubbling over.

"I've already said the things I said are disgraceful, not an acceptable way to speak about a child but frustrations, the way I was living, I wasn't getting any support from his dad whatsoever."

Tustin confirms she had an argument with Hughes later that day. She adds: "Arthur was playing up. Tom was speaking to me like absolute crap. It got to the point, as much as I knew I would be lonely, it wasn't good. I did say I didn't want them there. I wanted them to leave."

10:34TONY LARNER
Tustin had abortion while in custody
Tustin confirms on May 31 she was pregnant again, which was her third pregnancy with Hughes. She confirms it was not planned.

Ms Prior asks what happened to the baby.

Tustin: "When I was in custody I didn't have a miscarriage. I was banking on a miscarriage. It didn't happen. At 21 weeks I aborted my daughter."

She breaks down in tears in the witness box.

Ms Prior asks about a text message where she stated she 'didn't care' what Arthur said to her anymore.

Tustin: "At first when he was saying things it really upset me. It hurt. But because it was constantly happening every day whatever he said at that point didn't get to me anymore.

"It was just routine for him. It didn't get to me. I had been upset, been hurt. It got to the point it didn't bother me what he said."

10:37TONY LARNER
Tustin claims Arthur 'hit me wherever he could get me'
Tustin tells the court Hughes was using dating websites.

She says: "He used my tablet and the emails were coming through to my tablet. I was getting the messages he was sending to other people and then instead of removing the dating sites he removed his email address from my tablet."

Ms Prior asks about messages she sent to Catherine Milhench where she made reference to being 'stressed' and Arthur hitting her.

Tustin says she 'lost count' of how many times Arthur has hit her and adds: "He would kick me in the bottom of the leg and he would hit me wherever he could get me."


10:38TONY LARNER
'I had to hide the knives'
Ms Prior asks if Arthur said he was going to stab her.

Tustin: "He did yes. I had to hide the knives."

Ms Prior asks if she and Hughes were stressed. She says: "Looking back I know I was stressed. I can't understand why Tom was stressed.

"He was always leaving Arthur with me. Tom was stressed but leaving me with the brunt of Arthur."

10:46TONY LARNER
Children not sent back to school on June 8
Tustin tells the court Hughes would go out when her ex-partner Shane Hawkins came to collect his children.

She says Mr Hawkins told her to stay away from Hughes after the incident in April when he allegedly elbowed their son.

Tustin confirms at first she did not tell Mr Hawkins she had got back with Hughes.

Ms Prior moves on to June 8, when the schools re-opened.

Tustin says her children did not go back to school because at that time it was only children of key workers and those in special circumstances allowed to return.

She states she was unaware at the time Arthur qualified to go back to his school, but adds she is aware now.


Girlfriend accused of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes murder takes the stand
 
10:57TONY LARNER
Tustin 'wanted to cry in the shower'
Tustin recalls an incident in June when Hughes kicked the living room door 'off the hinges'.

She says: "He was angry with Arthur. Before he done that he smashed his phone off the floor. His phone shattered into pieces.

"He flung his arms up like he was the Hulk. He kicked the door off the hinges because Arthur wouldn't be quiet."

Tustin confirms Arthur was in the hallway at the time. She adds: "I was shaking. Angry and upset by it. He knew I had been through quite a lot, knew I had been in a position like that before. He didn't seem to care."

Tustin states Arthur was 'scared and petrified'. She says Hughes had put a hole in the door on a previous occasion.

Ms Prior relays a text from Tustin to Hughes where she spoke of wanting to 'cry in the shower because of how s*** you and him make me feel'.

Girlfriend accused of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes murder takes the stand
 
11:11TONY LARNER
Tustin asked Hughes to leave on June 11
Ms Prior asks Tustin about a text where she made reference to struggling in the lead-up to her birthday.

Tustin says a previous partner once gave her a black eye, broken leg and 'beat the life out of me' on her birthday.

She adds: "Every time in the leadup to that I always struggle because the mental abuse is torture. It never goes away. I always struggle."

Tustin confirms her birthday is on June 17. She says she only wanted to celebrate the occasion in 2020 because her children wanted to.

Tustin tells the court she told Hughes to leave on June 11. Asked why she allowed him to stay she says: "He had nowhere else to go. He said he would sleep in the car, and never go back to his mother's address.

"As naughty as Arthur was, yes he was sleeping downstairs, I don't think he should have slept in the car. That's just , no."

Tustin recalls she thought Hughes was going to hit her on one occasion.

"He was shouting in my face and raised his hand, he looked like he was going to hit me but he dropped his arm," she adds.

Girlfriend accused of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes murder takes the stand
 
11:17TONY LARNER
Arthur was 'barely eating anything'
Tustin says on June 12 Arthur hit her son in the face causing a mark.

Ms Prior relays text messages from Hughes to Tustin where he said he was 'naked on the bed waiting for you' and 'prepped and waiting for you to take my soul'.

Tustin replied 'waiting a bloody long time then'. Ms Prior asks if she wanted to 'do that sort of thing' at that time. Tustin replies 'no'.

Ms Prior asks how Arthur was eating by mid-June.

Tustin: "His eating was bad at this point."

She adds that he had noodles on the Friday (June 12) which was the first time he had eaten properly in a week. Tustin states prior to that he was 'barely eating anything'.

Girlfriend accused of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes murder takes the stand
 
11:28TONY LARNER
Tustin says Arthur would 'hit head against radiator'
Tustin states she told Arthur if he did not eat he would have to go to hospital where they would put a needle in his hand.

She denies wanting to 'scare' Arthur but says instead of it prompting him to eat, he said he wanted to go to the hospital.

Ms Prior states Tustin had described Arthur 'throwing himself about' between May 27 and June 15 last year. She asks her to describe what she means.

Tustin: "If Arthur was in the kitchen he would fall on the door. He would throw himself up the back door, to the floor. Throw himself up the side of the cupboard.

"If he was by the hallway he would throw himself up the stairs, against the radiator. He would sit with his back to the radiator and hit his head against the radiator."

Girlfriend accused of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes murder takes the stand
 
When asked for her view of Arthur’s state during the visit, Ms Milhench said: “Deteriorated. You could see his collar bones. He was wearing a pyjama onesie and you could just see his collar bones sticking out.

“I didn’t remember that from last time. He had lost weight.”

Using the phrase “like skeletal” to describe what Arthur’s condition made her think of, Ms Milhench said the boy appeared to be drained and weak, adding: “It wasn’t nice to see.

“His legs trying to walk up the stairs would be shaking, like he couldn’t hold himself up.”

Six-year-old boy says 'no-one loves me' as dad and partner accused of murder | ITV News

One witness said the previously happy and healthy boy looked "as though he were broken" on the day of his death.

The same witness said that when Arthur "secretly" asked him for a drink of water, while Mr Hughes and Ms Tustin were out of the room, "he had to hold [the glass] to Arthur's mouth" because he was "too weak to hold it himself".

Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: 'Bullying' couple 'poisoned' boy, 6, with salt

When his father came to collect Ms Tustin and Arthur, Ms Milhench said, "Tom had him by the scruff, took him [outside].

"I remember Arthur falling on the floor. He just collapsed and fell into the car."

Arthur Labinjo-Hughes appeared 'skeletal' before death




Tustin's accounts of Arthur having the energy to throw himself around aren't making sense, IMO.
 
11:31KEY EVENT
Tustin confirms she was 'cruel' to Arthur
Ms Prior asks Tustin if she was 'cruel' to Arthur while he was in his care. She confirms she was.

Asked to describe what she thought was cruel Tustin says: "Making him stand by the door or sitting on the step and on the occasion I clipped Arthur around the side of the ear and basically making him eat his lunch in the hallway away from the family. Those things were poor. I did those things."

She adds: "It got to the point from the minute he woke up to the minute he went to bed he was standing or sitting on the step by the door."

Tustin confirms that took place between 12 to 14 hours a day, seven days a week, for around a month and a half prior to Arthur's death.

11:35TONY LARNER
'As a parent myself I should know better'
Ms Prior asks why she permitted Arthur to spend up to 14 hours a day in the hallway.

Tustin: "It wasn't my rules but I followed those rules. I can't give a reason as to why I allowed that to happen in my home. I did allow it. I did follow those rules."

Ms Prior asks what she thinks about that now.

Tustin: "Absolutely disgusting. As a parent myself I should know better but I didn't know how to deal with that situation whatsoever. I did follow the rules. He was made to stand there by me as well. I do accept I was wrong with that."

She confirms she did not acknowledge to the police she was wrong at the time.


11:37TONY LARNER
Tustin says Hughes was violent to Arthur
Tustin tells the court that Hughes was violent to Arthur before Arthur was violent to her and her children.

Ms Prior asks if she did anything to stop the violence from Hughes to Arthur.

Tustin: "No I did not."

She adds she was 'scared' because Hughes threatened that Arthur would lie to social services who would take her children from her.


11:39TONY LARNER
Arthur 'just wanted someone to listen to him'
Ms Prior asks if she considered any reasons why Arthur was misbehaving.

Tustin: "No I didn't."

Asked how she reflects on Arthur's behaviour now she adds: "He was acting the way he was because he was being isolated. He was clearly being treated differently to my children. He was not allowed to get dressed or wear normal clothes. Arthur knew he was being treated differently.

"He wasn't allowed to go out. He knew he was being left behind. He knew Tom was ashamed of him. Tom told him.

"I don't think he was naughty. He just wanted someone to listen to him. He wanted to be treated the same as my children."


Girlfriend accused of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes murder takes the stand
 
11:44TONY LARNER
'He would self-harm every day'
Ms Prior asks if she witnessed Arthur harm himself prior to June 15.

Tustin says 'yes' and repeats the incidents of Arthur 'throwing himself' into things.

She adds: "He would self-harm every day. In some way he was hurting himself."

Tustin tells the court Hughes showed his own injuries to Arthur and told him 'I have done this because of you, if you carry on me and mommy bear will be dead'.

She says Hughes had self-harmed in the shower on Thursday, June 11. Tustin adds he had also self-harmed in April.

Girlfriend accused of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes murder takes the stand
 
I do not believe anything Emma is saying either. She murdered that boy while his father was out. No one else did it and I don’t believe he was self harming. His marks were inflicted. If Emma had not killed him, it was bound to happen eventually by Tom. I’m curious to see what Tom’s story will be now that Emma has come out about how horrible Tom was. Both are disgraceful.
 
I can’t believe Emma actually expects us to believe that this little boy “threw himself around” and starved himself. That just doesn’t happen. Maybe occasionally but not as frequently as she claims. From my understanding, Emma and Tom are the only people who supposedly witnessed this self harming.
 
11:53TONY LARNER
Arthur 'threw himself against the floor'
Ms Prior moves on to the visit to Catherine Milhench's home on June 15.

Tustin states in the morning Arthur's behaviour had been 'hit and miss' but when she walked to the taxi he 'threw himself against the floor and hit my legs'.

She tells the court when she arrived at Ms Milhench's home she told Arthur if he sat on the thinking step for five minutes he could come into the living room but not play with the other children.

Tustin adds that Arthur stood up so ended up staying in the hallway.

She says Arthur was not allowed near Ms Milhench's children because Hughes was scared he might 'assault' them.


12:00TONY LARNER
Audio clip of Arthur crying
Ms Prior asks if Hughes joked on the phone with Ms Milhench's partner Tobias Jarman about 'digging Arthur's grave'.

Tustin says: "Yes. It was a little bit of banter between him and 'T'. It's not funny."

She tells the court Arthur 'threw himself up the radiator and door' at Ms Milhench's home before he dropped forward and bit his lip.

An audio clip is played of Arthur crying and Tustin shouting 'Arthur' before it ends abruptly.

Tustin states Arthur pushed her down the last five stairs of Ms Milhench's home causing her to twist her ankle and drop her phone.

She says Arthur also hit her and grabbed her arm whilst at the property.


12:07TONY LARNER
'I heard Tom shouting and Arthur screaming'
Tustin accepts she shouted at Arthur during the course of the day at Ms Milhench's home.

She states Hughes was 'angry' when he arrived to pick them up.

Tustin tells the court she was sitting on the back step watching the other children playing and adds: "I heard Tom shouting and Arthur screaming but the door was closed. I didn't see it."

Asked what happened when they left the property Tustin says: "Arthur threw himself down the step which is quite high. He banged his head off the floor and fell up against the car."

She confirms she returned home at around 6pm and Hughes went out shortly afterwards to collect Arthur a microwave meal because 'at this point Arthur wasn't eating any meals I was cooking'.

12:12TONY LARNER
Tustin explains camera in living room
Tustin explains why she had CCTV in her home.

She says: "We had it because we had a bit of trouble with the neighbours. We had a spare camera. After Arthur ripped up photos and threw the tortoise on the floor Tom said we have got a spare camera and might as well use it.

"I spoke to Affy (Catherine Milhench) and she had done similar. That's why the camera was there. Arthur was sleeping downstairs. He had been ruining things. The camera was there to see what he was doing."

12:18TONY LARNER
Tustin pulled blanket from underneath Arthur
The court is shown the living room CCTV footage of Arthur waking up on June 15. Tustin appears on the camera, swiftly pulls the blanket from underneath Arthur, who stands up and cries.

Asked to explain her actions Tustin says: "I shouted down to him numerous times to pick up his blanket. I thought he was awake.

"Looking at that it looks like he had only just woken up. I just thought he was being naughty and wouldn't pick up his blanket.

"Looking at the footage I see he wasn't being naughty and was genuinely struggling to pick up his duvet and pillow. When he stood up you see he's crying. I had gone back upstairs."

She adds: "It's absolutely disgusting. Unacceptable."




Girlfriend accused of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes murder takes the stand
 
12:33KEY EVENT
Tustin slaps Arthur to back of head
Ms Prior asks if she ever hit Arthur. Tustin says 'no' with the exception of the time she 'clipped him around the ear'.

The court is played living room footage from around 9pm on June 15. Tustin is in the room, she bends down and slaps Arthur to the back of the head.

Tustin explains to the court she thought Arthur was 'messing about taking the p*** walking into the kitchen'.

She adds: "Again seeing the footage it looks as if he's got a headache or ear ache, he's tilting his head to the side. I see he's clearly unsteady on his feet."

Tustin asks to take a quick toilet break.

When she returns Ms Prior asks her about her text message to Hughes where she said Arthur had '*advertiser censored*** himself on the floor'.

Tustin: "What we've all just watched, it doesn't look like Arthur intentionally *advertiser censored**** himself on the floor. It looks like he's unsteady and lost his balance."

She adds at the time she thought Arthur was 'being silly' and 'doing what he does normally because it was a regular thing for him to do'.


12:35TONY LARNER
Tustin text called Arthur a 'little b******'
Tustin confirms she sent a text to Hughes calling Arthur a 'little b******' and saying he had bit her. She states he had bitten her twice in a matter of days.

Ms Prior asks if she took salt upstairs that day.

Tustin confirms she did and says it is an 'old wive's tale my mom and nan used' to relieve burning and stinging.

Ms Prior moves on to the events of June 16.

She asks if she wanted Hughes and Arthur to accompany her back to Ms Milhench's home for her hair to be finished off.

Tustin: "Not particularly. I wanted to have my hair done in peace."


12:41TONY LARNER
'Tom said he was going to *advertiser censored***** kill him'
Tustin says there was 'a lot of shouting' from Hughes to Arthur at Ms Milhench's home.

She states Hughes was also 'pressure pointing' him at the address.

Tustin: "The door was shut. Affy opened the door. She didn't know what was happening. Tom was pressure pointing Arthur to the back of the neck. Arthur was squealing."

She tells the court what happened on the way home in the car.

Tustin: "Tom was talking to Arthur. He said 'wait until we get home'. Arthur said he didn't want to go home. Tom said he was going to *advertiser censored***** kill him'."

Tustin states there was further shouting from Hughes to Arthur when they returned home, before Hughes left to go to the shops, taking Tustin's children with him.


13:00TONY LARNER
'It was like he was walking up a mountain'
Tustin explains what happened when she was alone upstairs with Arthur.

She says: "I was upstairs doing my eyebrows. My bedroom door doesn't shut properly. I think Arthur thought it was shut. At that point he threw himself up against the door.

"The door bounced into the bedroom. The dressing room table was there. The door came back on him and hit his face. The first thing I did was check his face and send a picture to Tom."

Ms Prior asks if Arthur had initially went upstairs voluntarily.

Tustin: "I asked him to come upstairs with me. He held onto the bannister. It was like he was walking up a mountain, like he was hiking. It took him a while. He did get up to the top."


Girlfriend accused of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes murder takes the stand
 
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