Carroll520
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Mr Hankin calls Catherine Milhench, also known as 'Affy', to the witness box.
Witness says Arthur was 'lovely'
Ms Milhench confirms she had known Tustin for around 12 months by June, 2020, and cut her hair at her own home. But she states she did not socialise with her.
The witness confirms the hair appointments lasted between three and four hours and she got on with Tustin 'absolutely fine'.
Ms Milhench tells the court she became aware of Tustin's new relationship with Hughes around Autumn 2019, and that by the end of that year she had met Arthur.
Asked what Arthur was like she says: "Lovely, playing in the garden with my son. Happy."
'Arthur made to sit down... and not move'
Asked what his physical appearance was like, Ms Milhench adds: "Absolutely fine. Healthy. Normal boy."
Mr Hankin turns to a hair appointment at her home in February 2020. He asks how Arthur was.
Ms Milhench says: "Still healthy looking but not happy. Wasn't playing or anything at this time. He was made to sit down with his hands on his knees and not move."
She confirms Arthur was made to sit at a children's table and chair in her front room. She states Hughes and Tustin had told him to sit there.
Ms Milhench adds: "I just thought he's obviously been naughty at home. When you go to other people's homes you don't want your child to misbehave. I didn't ask questions."
She confirms the appointment lasted the usual three to four hours and Arthur was at the table the entire time. If he moved he was told to keep his hands still, she says.
Arthur told to 'face the door. Not to move'
Mr Hankin moves on to the hair appointment on June 15, 2020.
Ms Milhench confirms when Tustin arrived she told Arthur to 'stand at the front door and face the door'.
Mr Hankin reminds the court Tustin and Arthur were at her home between 10.40am and 5pm. He asks how Tustin interacted with Arthur during that time.
Ms Milhench: "Telling him to stand up not to lean on the door. To face the door. Not to move."
She confirms she first saw Arthur when she went upstairs to wash Tustin's hair.
Ms Milhench: "He was made to come upstairs and face another door. Said he couldn't be trusted."
'Ham sandwich was taken off Arthur'
Asked about what happened at lunch, Ms Milhench says Arthur was given a ham sandwich and made to eat it at the door while Tustin's other two children, who were with her, had a picnic in the garden.
She tells the court Tustin said Arthur spat out the sandwich and that it was 'rude to spit things out' so she took the sandwich away from him.
Asked whether Arthur was given a drink Ms Milhench replies: "No."
Mr Hankin asks her what else Tustin said to Arthur that day: "She would constantly be saying stand up straight, don't lean. He was facing the door constantly."
Tustin 'claimed Arthur had bitten her'
Ms Milhench refers to the statement she made a few days after Arthur died and says: "She (Tustin) said he had thrown himself into the living room door.
"I didn't see him but she got up to go to him and said he had cut his lip and gone to get a tissue to clean it up.
"Whilst doing that she said he had bitten her. She showed a small mark on her hand."
Ms Milhench describes it as a 'tiny mark' on Tustin's thumb area.
Asked whether she was aware of Arthur 'throwing himself up the door' Ms Milhench says: "More like falling not throwing."
She adds this was due to Arthur's 'weakness'.
Tustin was 'aggressively, shouting'
Ms Milhench tells the court that whilst returning from the bathroom she did not see Arthur try to push Tustin down the stairs because she was walking in front of them, but she does recall Tustin complaining that Arthur did.
Ms Milhench states she did not hear Arthur banging on any doors and that she would have heard if he did.
She describes the way Tustin spoke to Arthur that day as 'aggressively, shouting'.
Tustin called Arthur 'little c***'
Ms Milhench confirms Tustin was using her phone whilst having her hair done.
She says: "Messaging Tom telling him what was going on. Arthur playing up. Can I use language? I hate the word, c***, calling him a little c***, quite a lot, to Tom."
Ms Milhench says Tustin also recorded voice notes and at one point took the phone to Arthur 'for Tom to have a word with him, tell him off basically'.
Arthur fell but 'none of them helped'
She describes what happened when Hughes arrived at her home.
"He had him by the scruff of the neck and closed the door to the hallway so it was just the two of them in there. Calling him a little c*** and language."
Ms Milhench then tells the court what she saw outside as they left her home.
"I remember Arthur falling to the floor. None of them helped. He just collapsed and fell into the car."
Asked how Tustin and Hughes reacted she says: "All quite rushed. I just remember them rushing off pushing him into the car."
Hughes had Arthur 'by scruff of neck'
Mr Hankin moves on to Tustin's return visit to her home the following day, June 16, at 9.45am.
Ms Milhench says the first thing she noticed was that Arthur was wearing the same clothes.
She tells the court Arthur was brought into the house 'by the scruff of his neck again', by Hughes.
She says Hughes was being 'rough, aggressive', with Arthur. Ms Milhench states both Tustin and Hughes told Arthur to stand by the door again and not move.
Witness says Hughes wanted Arthur to respond 'yes sir'
Mr Hankin asks how the defendants spoke to Arthur.
"Constantly calling him a little c***. Telling him to stand up. It was back and forwards between them both. Both shouting. Like a game of tennis."
Mr Hankin asks whether Arthur spoke.
She says: "Only time he would speak is if they said something. He would say 'ok, yes'. If he didn't respond him correctly Tom would say 'yes what?'. He would say 'yes sir'. That's how Tom wanted him to respond to him, 'yes sir'.
Mr Hankin asks how she was feeling at that point.
Ms Milhench says: "Hated it. Uncomfortable. Wanted them out."
'My partner snuck him drink of water without them knowing'
Ms Milhench confirms her partner Tobias, also referred to as 'T', was at home on June 16.
She says: "My partner snuck him a drink of water without them knowing. He told me he had to hold the cup for him. He couldn't hold it. He was asking for more. Because he did that, he was calling for T."
Ms MIlhench tells the court Hughes overheard Arthur calling for T and said: "He won't want you. T doesn't want you because you have been banging the door and stuff."
Ms Milhench states she did not hear Arthur banging on the door.
'Pressure pointing him... because it hurts'
Further asked how the defendants spoke to Arthur, she adds: "It was continuous. Attacking. Swearing."
Mr Hankin asks if at any point she heard Arthur screaming.
Ms Milhench says: "I was doing Emma's hair. I can't remember how it started. Tom was in there, he shut the door and Arthur started screaming. I turned around and said 'what's going on?'
"She said 'pressure pointing him'. I said 'pressure pointing?'. She said 'yeah because it hurts'.
Mr Hankin asks whether she spoke to Tustin about school.
Ms Milhench said: "I suggested send him back to school if things are bad at home. She said they can't because they would see the bruises. She said it was what Tom had caused to Arthur."
'No, because Arthur wins'
Mr Hankin asks Ms Milhench whether she spoke to Tustin about Arthur going back to his grandparents.
She says: "I had said, because he mentioned previously he wanted to go to his nan's, I said take him to his nan's, he'll be happy, you'll be happy, everyone wins.
"She said 'no, because Arthur wins, he will win if he goes to his nans'. She said 'no because that's what he wants'."
'I will bury you six feet under'
Mr Hankin asks Ms Milhench what happened when her own son ran into the house with a football.
She says: "Arthur moved. Tom shouted he'll rip his head off and use it as a football. Also shouted loads of other stuff. Watch you little c***, I will bury you six feet under."
Ms Milhench says Arthur 'stumbled again' as they left her home that day, because he was 'physically weak'.
She confirms neither Tustin or Hughes helped him up, 'they just stood there'.
Tustin claimed Arthur had 'smashed his head' on table
Ms Milhench tells the court as they approached the car Hughes was 'leaning across the front passenger side and as he was doing so was pushing against Arthur who was on the floor'.
Mr Hankin asks her if she spoke to Tustin on the phone later that day.
Recalling what Tustin said to her, she says: "Arthur has just thrown himself at the dressing table and smashed his head. She basically said she would call back if I didn't hear from her, she would send a message."
Ms Milhench recalls that Tustin referred to Arthur as a 'little s***' during the call.
Dad accused of murdering son branded a 'short-tempered, wicked man' - updates
That is harrowing, to think they treated Arthur like this in the unbelievably weak state he was seen on cctv that morning. That poor poor boy, its unnaturally cruel
