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

[Carroll520]

Just reading the live updates, TH's nans house was empty this whole time, he could have taken Arthur there. Aw god, why why didnt he just do that, what a fool!!!

 

[Dotta]

Just reading the live updates, TH's nans house was empty this whole time, he could have taken Arthur there. Aw god, why why didnt he just do that, what a fool!!!

He was broke, he didnt work.

 

[Carroll520]

Just reading the live updates, TH's nans house was empty this whole time, he could have taken Arthur there. Aw god, why why didnt he just do that, what a fool!!!

He was broke, he didnt work.

So was ET supporting him fully, food and all? I would have thought he was getting unemployment benefit, we had that for people in lockdown in Ireland, not sure about the UK. But surely he could have lived in his nans rent free. He needed to man up and protect his child and he took the easy option

 

[Dotta]

Just reading the live updates, TH's nans house was empty this whole time, he could have taken Arthur there. Aw god, why why didnt he just do that, what a fool!!!

So was ET supporting him fully, food and all? I would have thought he was getting unemployment benefit, we had that for people in lockdown in Ireland, not sure about the UK. But surely he could have lived in his nans rent free. He needed to man up and protect his child and he took the easy option

You are absolutely right.
Im suffering reading this.
I hope the Prosecution will grill him.
By the way, Covid symptoms in Defence lawyer seem to be a false alarm.
Good!

 

[Carroll520]

Another question i have, if he wasnt working where was he all day, if ET was at home on her own with Arthur so much!! Seems strange!

 

[SpursGyal]

Tustin said Arthur was 'pushing Hughes away' from the rest of the household
Mr Richmond moves on to the events of June. He asks about a message Tustin sent complaining that Arthur's 'new games is to push you away from us all'.

Hughes: "Because Arthur was going down to the floor more often, every five minutes or something stupid. I would sit with him to make sure he wouldn't hurt himself.

"If he put himself on the floor. I was told I wasn't making enough time for Emma and her two children. That's where that came from."

Mr Richmond asks if he witnessed Arthur 'throw himself on the floor'.

Hughes: "I wouldn't say thrown himself. I would say slump is a better word."

Mr Richmond asks about Hughes' text reply where he said he was 'open to suggestions, I've tried every other option'.

Hughes: "It was always put to me he was my child, I had to discipline him. Then there were times Emma would say 'I'm helping raise him, I should have a say on things'. Because of the situation I asked for her input on other ways to get through to Arthur."

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[Dotta]

Another question i have, if he wasnt working where was he all day, if ET was at home on her own with Arthur so much!! Seems strange!

Running away from problems I guess.

 

[Tinksx]

It's hard to tell from transcripts rather than listening yourself in court, but it feels to me as though Hughes has been very well coached by his defence barrister. These read like answers that have been carefully scripted to try and make the utterly indefensible appear to be mere lapses into poor judgement that he regrets with retrospect, coupled with a sustained effort to make Tustin look like the 'real' bad guy in this picture, plus a substantial side order of things he can't quite recall. I hope the jury have their wits about them.

JMO

I think that’s pretty standard, ETs defence read out the same way to be honest. Other cases I am following play out this way too. The cracks appear once cross examination takes place. Either way, neither of these two will be found not guilty. The only charge I think TH will get off with is the salt poisoning.

 

[Carroll520]

You are absolutely right.
Im suffering reading this.
I hope the Prosecution will grill him.
By the way, Covid symptoms in Defence lawyer seem to be a false alarm.
Good!

Its really hard to listen too isnt it, what a weak weak man. Poor Arthur was excited to be a big brother, now he will never ever get the chance, makes me cry

 

[Dotta]

You know what I find amazing?

2 unemployed adults + 3 children - all iving in a house in relative comfort (trips to the hairdresser, picnics, balloons, etc.) Wow!

 

[SpursGyal]

es says he thinks Arthur's food had 'become inedible' so he spat it out
Hughes says Tustin did not like him referring to his mother's house as home.

He adds: "I had lived there for 27 years. Moving out to Emma's was the first proper time I had moved out."

Mr Richmond asks about the allegation he started using dating sites.

Hughes says he deleted the app when he got with Tustin but because he had 'subscribed' he was still receiving spam emails.

On a new topic Hughes confirmed he noticed Arthur's physical appearance had changed by that point.

He says: "He had lost a lot of weight. He looked tired. Looked unhealthy, didn't look as I knew him as he was previously."

Hughes refutes he was denying Arthur anything to drink.

He says: "I thought he was trying to substitute food for drink. He just wanted to drink constantly and I was worried about that situation. I tried a balancing act."

Mr Richmond asks if he can now think of another explanation.

Hughes: "What did I think was happening? I think his food had become inedible. That's why he spat it out."

He says he never heard Arthur complaining about his food.

 

[SpursGyal]

Arthur was not sent back to school because he 'became too thin', Hughes says
Mr Richmond asks why Arthur did not go back to school when it re-opened on June 8.

Hughes: "I felt he became too thin. I didn't want to put him in a position he struggled throughout the day. I told him, on one of the occasions I did get him on my own, the school was open again, they had a place for him but he wasn't going back until he started to eat properly."

He accepts looking back school would have been the best place for Arthur.

Hughes adds: "It's not that he was thin. He seemed very fragile, that was my concern. It was not how thin he was. He struggled with himself."

Mr Richmond asks why he did not want to involve the school more at that time.

Hughes says the person he spoke to on the phone was someone he had never spoken to before, so he did not feel comfortable disclosing things to her.

He adds he became 'more and more' concerned about Arthur's eating.

Mr Richmond suggests Tustin was making 'a lot of sandwiches'. He asks if he ever suggested anything different.

Hughes: "I tried. It was met with 'that's what he deserves, he doesn't deserve anything else'. It would have caused an argument. I didn't want to cause an argument for me or Arthur."

 

[suebaloo]

Arthur was not sent back to school because he 'became too thin', Hughes says
Mr Richmond asks why Arthur did not go back to school when it re-opened on June 8.

Hughes: "I felt he became too thin. I didn't want to put him in a position he struggled throughout the day. I told him, on one of the occasions I did get him on my own, the school was open again, they had a place for him but he wasn't going back until he started to eat properly."

He accepts looking back school would have been the best place for Arthur.

Hughes adds: "It's not that he was thin. He seemed very fragile, that was my concern. It was not how thin he was. He struggled with himself."

Mr Richmond asks why he did not want to involve the school more at that time.

Hughes says the person he spoke to on the phone was someone he had never spoken to before, so he did not feel comfortable disclosing things to her.

He adds he became 'more and more' concerned about Arthur's eating.

Mr Richmond suggests Tustin was making 'a lot of sandwiches'. He asks if he ever suggested anything different.

Hughes: "I tried. It was met with 'that's what he deserves, he doesn't deserve anything else'. It would have caused an argument. I didn't want to cause an argument for me or Arthur."

 

[suebaloo]

Such a weak, weak man!

 

[Dotta]

Such a weak, weak man!

He was not equipped with the ability to deal with life's problems.
Lived with parents till 27.
He is like a child himself.
MOO

 

[Carroll520]

Such a weak, weak man!

Could he really have been that weak, the more I am hearing the more I get the impression his barrister is pushing for his apparent fear of confrontation to be a big reason he let this happen. Come on TH, we all hate confrontation but we would not let this happen to our child. Hes actually making ne more annoyed than ET, shes just plain evil, whats his excuse?

 

[SpursGyal]

Hughes says he 'took his frustration out on a door'
Mr Richmond asks about the time Arthur told Tustin he wanted to see a doctor.

Hughes: "I couldn't take him anywhere, we were still in lockdown. I should have phoned them sooner. Eventually I do phone them. It was 'he doesn't need a doctor'. Arthur's situation was always downplayed."

Mr Richmond moves on to June 11 and asks about the holes in the living room door. Hughes confirms he caused both of them on the same occasion.

He says: "It had been a constant barrage of 'look what Arthur's doing, he's done this, done that'. I let it build up and took my frustration out on a door."

He denies ever using violence towards Tustin or raising his hand to her in violence.

Hughes tells the court by that stage he was under a 'high amount of pressure' from Tustin to discipline Arthur.

Mr Richmond asks about the allegation Arthur hit Tustin in the stomach.

Hughes: "I didn't believe he would have hit her in the belly. He was never a violent child. I think I had words with him. Asked him why he did it. I don't think I disciplined him what she wanted me to."

 

[suebaloo]

Could he really have been that weak, the more I am hearing the more I get the impression his barrister is pushing for his apparent fear of confrontation to be a big reason he let this happen. Come on TH, we all hate confrontation but we would not let this happen to our child. Hes actually making ne more annoyed than ET, shes just plain evil, whats his excuse?

 

[SpursGyal]

Hughes says he didn't think 'what was happening' with Arthur was 'justified'
Mr Richmond asks how easy it was for Arthur to explain himself.

Hughes: "He couldn't. Whenever I asked why it happened I had Emma over my shoulder saying 'I told you why it happened, I told you why it happened'. Constantly over my shoulder before I could speak to Arthur."

He says Tustin criticised him for being inconsistent with Arthur 'fairly regularly'.

Hughes tells the court Tustin put it to Arthur the things she thought his mother Olivia had done to him, such as spit wine in his face and take him out during nighttime.

He says Arthur 'went along with it'.

Hughes adds: "I got fed up. I didn't feel Arthur's behavior merited the punishment he got. I asked numerous times 'where does the punishment end?'. I didn't think it was justified what was happening."

 

[SpursGyal]

Hughes can't say why Arthur wore same onesie for four days
Moving on to June 12, Hughes confirms he made a search for a medical practice on his phone because he was concerned about Arthur's eating.

He tells the court he wanted him to go back to school saying: "It would have been a routine for Arthur. The school was aware of his eating and they had put plans into place. I thought that would be a big help for him."

Mr Richmond reads a text from Tustin which said 'that's what he wants, he's going to go to school and lie about us'.

Mr Richmond asks why Arthur wore the same onesie from June 12 until he collapsed four days later.

Hughes: "I couldn't tell you why. I had a reason at the time. I can't recall what it was."

Mr Richmond points out it was a fleece onesie and it was the middle of summer.

Hughes suggests Arthur may have had to wear it because of his bruises or because there may have been a 'disagreement' if he put him in other clothes.