Boy, 5, 'made to stand facing wall for 30 mins', murder trial told
March 15, 2022
Live Trial Blog:
14:17PHILIP DEWEY
'Overfamiliar'
Mr Elias, for Cole, asked Ms Richards if she thought Williamson was “emotional and overfamiliar”.
The witness said: “She wanted you to know she was there, almost wanting to be your friend. She didn’t see I was Logan’s teacher and was overfamiliar.”
The witness has finished and the court adjourns for a lunch break. The jury will be away for more than the usual hour as a legal argument needs to take place.
14:16PHILIP DEWEY
Concerns about Logan's behaviour
In March 2020, Williamson brought Logan to school saying she was concerned about his aggressive behaviour.
The witness said: “She said he had hurt her.”
Williamson also said Logan had told her the youth defendant had hurt him but she said this hadn’t happened because she had “looked through a crack in the door”.
Ms Richards said: “She said he was lying and (the youth) hadn’t hurt him.”
The teacher also observed a bruise on Logan’s face, but when they asked him he said he had “poked” himself in school.
When she asked Williamson how these injuries were caused, she said it had been caused after Logan and Cole were playing with a Nerf gun.
She said: “Angharad said the bruise was caused by the Nerf gun hitting him in the face when playing. (She said) John Cole had hit him with a Nerf gun.”
On one occasion, Logan soiled himself in school which Ms Richards described as unusual.
She said: “He was very distressed about it and asked us not to tell mum.”
Ms Rees said: “Did he ask for his clothes to be thrown out?”
The witness said: “Yes.”
12:59PHILIP DEWEY
Logan's teacher gives evidence
he trial resumes.
The next witness is Catherine Richards, Logan’s teacher at Tondu Primary School.
She said: “Logan was a loving, kind little boy. He loved school, loved being in the outdoor classroom and would light up the classroom with his smile… He was very bright, he loved the muddy kitchen and his numbers.
“He was engrossed in everything, inquisitive and loved learning… He was a polite little boy.”
Ms Rees asked Ms Richards if Logan had a stammer, but she didn’t remember it very much.”
The witness said she had contact with Williamson and reassured her that he was “going to be fine” in starting school.
She was very over emotional. He was absolutely fine starting school so couldn’t understand why she was so worried but it can be emotional for parents when children start school so I put it down to that.”
When asked if she acted calm, Ms Richards said: “You knew she was there.”
On one occasion, she took Williamson into the staff room after she became upset and said she was concerned about Logan’s behaviour.
She said: “I need to comfort her and reassure her.”
There was a phone call from Logan’s father during this incident.
When asked what demeanour was like, she said: “She seemed happy talking to him.”
On another occasion, Williamson called the school and was “cross” with the witness because Logan had wet himself.
Ms Richards became emotional and said: “She was cross with me and had been crying to the secretary, she was angry.”
12:32PHILIP DEWEY
'No concerns'
Mr Rouch, for Williamson, asks the witness about her contact with Williamson.
The barrister said: “Did you have any concerns about the way she dealt with Logan?”
The witness said: “No concerns.”
Mr Rouch said: “Did she appear to be a concerned and loving mother?”
The witness said: “She did.”
The court heard Williamson encouraged Logan to look at books and colour, and provided him with “appropriate toys”.
She was also asked if Williamson appeared proud of Logan, and the witness confirmed this.
John Hipkin QC, for the youth defendant, asked the witness about concerns over Logan’s dislocated arm.
The witness said: “There were concerns because of the delay (in going to A&E) and the fact Angharad had tried to put the shoulder back in herself.”
The barrister asked if the witness was aware the claim the youth defendant had pushed Logan downstairs was as a result of a call made by Williamson. The witness said she was not.
The witness has finished her evidence and the court adjourns for a short break.
12:14PHILIP DEWEY
Williamson said Cole was 'very supportive' - cross examination
Mr Elias, on behalf of Cole, cross examines the witness.
He asks if Williamson was a “confident person” and had no concerns about Cole.
The witness said: “I would say so yes.”
The barrister also asked if Williamson described Cole as “very supportive” and there were no domestic abuse concerns.
The witness said: “That’s correct.”
When asked about Logan’s dislocated shoulder, the witness said: “There were some ambiguities and lack of clarification of Cole’s history.”
Mr Elias said Williamson was “protective” of Cole.
The witness said: “That’s correct.”
12:02PHILIP DEWEY
Logan fell downstairs and broke his arm, court told
The witness was later told Logan had been taken to A&E after falling downstairs and suffering a fractured humerus and dislocated collarbone. A referral was made to social services and the multi-agency safeguarding hub.
Was told Williamson had tried to put the collarbone back in place herself and had given him Calpol.
It was revealed this had happened in Cole’s property in Maesglas as Williamson’s home in Lower Llansantffraid did not have stairs.
She was also told Williamson had requested a wheelchair.
On February 3, 2021, the witness attended Lower Llansantffraid and asked Williamson if she had any concerns about Cole and domestic abuse, but she told the witness she had no concerns.
The witness was also asked whether she asked about a claim the youth defendant had pushed Logan down the stairs.
She said: “Yes that’s correct. She understood contact needed to be supervised until clarified.”
The witness said Williamson was “protective” towards Cole and in 2021 the couple got engaged.
In June, the witness visited and said Logan had been sent to his room after stuffing three toilet rolls down the toilet.
The last visit took place on June 30, 2021.
11:55PHILIP DEWEY
Williamson had been victim of domestic violence from a previous relationship
The next witness to give evidence is a health visitor with Flying Start Bridgend who visited Logan.
She first met Williamson and Logan in 2019, and was aware there were alarms and locks on the doors, due to Williamson being the victim of domestic assault from a previous relationship.
The witness said Williamson seemed “settled” in the property, and described it as a “new star” for her.
The defendant told the witness about her health condition, which included “convulsions”.
The witness said there were no concerns about the property in Lower Llansantffraid, and offered Flying Start provision but Williamson did not require it.
The health visitor visited Logan again when he was three-and-a-half, and by this time Williamson had started a relationship with Cole. She said: “She seemed happy and upbeat, pleased.”
The court heard during one visit, Williamson had gone to “get her lips filled” but Cole was at the property.
On the last visit, the witness said things went smoothly and Williamson kept up to date with her son’s immunisations.
11:44PHILIP DEWEY
Cross-examination - Williamson's barrister
Peter Rouch QC, for Williamson, now cross examines Mr Williams.
He makes reference to Logan punching his client on one occasion, and again says he was made to stand on the stairs for punching his mother.
Mr Williams said: “That’s correct.”
The barrister also makes reference to Logan not being allowed to eat a Chinese takeaway by Cole after misbehaving.
Mr Williams confirms this and his evidence is complete.
11:43PHILIP DEWEY
Cross examination - Cole's barrister
David Elias QC, for Cole, starts his cross-examination of Mr Williams.
He asked if Logan was in a happy mood during the video call, and the witness agreed.
On a previous occasion, Mr Williams said he witnessed Logan punching Williamson in the cheek, as a result he was told to stand on the stairs, hold on to the bannister and face the wall.
11:30BENJAMIN WRIGHT
First witness - friend of John Cole
The trial resumes.
The next witness is Callum Williams, a friend of John Cole’s. He said he had met Williamson and Logan.
He also confirmed that he had met the youth defendant before.
Prosecutor Caroline Rees QC asked him if he saw Cole and Williamson disciplining Logan.
Mr Williams said: “They would try and talk to him to figure out what was going on and if that didn’t work they would make him stand towards the wall on the stairs towards the bannister for 30 minutes at a time…
“He was around the age of five or six.”
The witness said he stayed for food with Cole and Williamson on a couple of occasions when Logan was not allowed to eat takeaway food.
Mr Williams said: “He was at first but before the food arrived he misbehaved so Jay said he wasn’t allowed any takeaway, he didn’t go without food but had a bowl of cereal instead.”
He had a Facetime call with Cole on July 27, 2021. He said he spoke to Cole but only saw Logan for a few minutes
Mr Williams said: “(Logan) seemed the best I’d seen him. He was sat on the stairs colouring a numbers book… He was very happy and joyful as well… It was a photo of a field with some flowers or animals.”
