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

[Tortoise]

15:05JAMES CARTLEDGE
Arthur was made to stand in hallway 'so we didn't have to do anything for him', Tustin says
Mr Hankin says Tustin tried to turn Arthur 'into a statue in the corner of your home'.

Tustin: "No I did not."

Mr Hankin asks what the 'purpose and objective' of the forced standing was.

Tustin: "There wasn't a purpose. When he was there we didn't have to do anything for him. The whole day was so hectic and mad when he was in the hallway, it was like he wasn't being paid attention to, like he was invisible, like he wasn't there."

Mr Hankin: "Like he was out of sight, out of mind."

Tustin: "Yes."

Mr Hankin: "Do you agree that to do that to a six-year-old boy would be extremely cruel?"

Tustin: "Yes."

The prosecutor asks if she ever considered this to be inappropriate.

Tustin: "I did think about it. Not often enough. But I just dismissed it. It wasn't right. It shouldn't have happened."

Murder accused branded 'pitiless, cruel woman' who 'hated' boy - updates

 

[Tortoise]

15:08JAMES CARTLEDGE
'You relished policing Arthur. You can hear it in your voice'
Mr Hankin asks: "How could you have believed his behaviour was mischief and naughtiness rather than a reaction to what you were requiring him to do?"

Tustin: "I did get it wrong. Very wrong. I can't say anything else now. It was wrong. It shouldn't have happened but it did."

Mr Hankin: "Any act can be dismissed like that. It was wrong, oh well."

Tustin: "Not oh well."

The body-worn camera footage of Tustin speaking to police on June 16 is replayed.

She confirms she said she and Hughes were 'trying to set an example for the other children'.

Next, an audio clip is played where Tustin can be heard saying: "You have been told to stand at the door. Do it. Do it."

And now a video she recorded of Arthur standing facing the door. She can be heard saying: "Stand by the door like you have been told."

Both of the clips are from May 24. Mr Hankin: "You were policing Arthur standing."

Tustin: "I did yes. His dad left and told him to stand there, I followed those rules."

Mr Hankin: "You are not a camp guard following rules. You relished policing Arthur. You can hear it in your voice."

Tustin: "I wasn't. If that's what you are going to suggest I can't stop you."

Murder accused branded 'pitiless, cruel woman' who 'hated' boy - updates

 

[Noseyjosie]

Exactly. She constantly lied to Hughes about Arthur’s behavior. She’s been caught in many of those lies. What I don’t understand is how did Hughes not catch on that she was lying. He had to have known his son wasn’t doing all those things. I wonder if Hughes knew of the salt poisoning or if he was not in on that. It’s very relieving to read of her finally being told off in court.

BBM

I think Hughes must have been totally overwhelmed by her constant bombardment of complaining, both by text and calls. I get the impression she never gave him a minute to think, just kept on and on and on at him and stoked him up. This, together with her "poor me" routine, must have had him at the end of his tether. Lord knows what she has going for her that keeps her ex Shane thinking she walks on water....I would imagine she was similar with him - likewise the stepfather who won't have a bad word said about her. She seems to be a seriously disturbed individual who comes across as hugely entitled and extremely manipulative. I bet she calls the shots in every relationship, whether family or partner. JMO

 

[Tortoise]

15:26JAMES CARTLEDGE
Tustin accepts video of Arthur moaning is 'horrendous' to hear
The court is played another audio clip where Arthur can be heard making a moaning sound.

Mr Hankin: "Did you notice Arthur was scarcely able to articulate his words?"

Tustin: "It's horrendous to listen to. I just thought he was acting like a baby because he said he wanted to be a baby."

Mr Hankin: "That is something that could not be misinterpreted as anything other than a child in distress."

He adds: "You were there commanding him even then, 'stand by the door, stand still'. Utterly pitiless behaviour."

Tustin: "It was yes."

Judge Wall asks: "Are you saying you knew it was cruel but at the time his behaviour was so bad you thought it justified it?"

Tustin: "It's cruel. Not right. There was so much going on with him. Me or Tom couldn't be bothered to deal with it anymore. I was told there was no help. That's how we dealt with him."

Murder accused branded 'pitiless, cruel woman' who 'hated' boy - updates

 

[Carroll520]

Guys I have think this is one of the worst cases I have ever seen. I cant stop thinking about little Arthur, have candles lighting for him every day. I feel the prosecution is very strong, he is doing an amazing job and I looked him up and he has a great track record. Hopefully the two cruel people get what they deserve

 

[Dotta]

Guys I have think this is one of the worst cases I have ever seen. I cant stop thinking about little Arthur, have candles lighting for him every day. I feel the prosecution is very strong, he is doing an amazing job and I looked him up and he has a great track record. Hopefully the two cruel people get what they deserve

Welcome!
Let's hope you are right and both of them will soon "taste their own medicine".

 

[Noseyjosie]

I'm hoping Tustin loses her temper in the box and shows her true colours in front of everyone

 

[Carroll520]

The Prosecutor doesn't mince words
Bravo!!!

He is amazing!!!

 

[Carroll520]

Welcome!
Let's hope you are right and both of them will soon "taste their own medicine".

oh i really hope so, some justice for little Arthur

 

[Carroll520]

The court is played an audio clip of Arthur crying and repeatedly saying 'no-one's going to feed me'. Tustin's son can also be heard offering to comfort Arthur. Tustin breaks down in tears.

God love him the only bit of compassion he received in months from Tustin's son!

 

[Tortoise]

15:43JAMES CARTLEDGE
'At that time I knew it was wrong and bad. I didn't give it a second thought. It didn't cross my mind'
Tustin accepts the prosecutor's suggestion that she was 'deliberately cruel' to Arthur.

She denies she 'derived pleasure' out of it and says: "No it made me feel like absolute crap. I couldn't see any way out."

Mr Hankin asks why Tustin accepts her behaviour was wrong now - 18 months or so on - but could not at the time.

Tustin explains that while in custody she has reflected and read the case papers.

She says: "Reading it made it very real. It wasn't just in my mind, it was there in black and white what this child actually went through."

Mr Hankin: "Well that's a passive way of looking at it isn't it? Is a more accurate way, that this is what you did to him?"

Tustin: "Yes. That's more accurate."

Mr Hankin challenges Tustin's stance that it is only with 'hindsight' that she realises her actions were cruel.

He reads the text Hughes sent her asking Arthur to be moved from the front to the back door in case his mother Joanne Hughes visited. He puts it to her she must have known it was cruel otherwise she would not have moved him.

Tustin: "At that time I knew it was wrong and bad. I didn't give it a second thought. It didn't cross my mind."

Murder accused branded 'pitiless, cruel woman' who 'hated' boy - updates

 

[Tortoise]

15:50KEY EVENT
Tustin weeps at audio as Arthur is heard saying: 'No-one's going to feed me'
The court is played an audio clip of Arthur crying and repeatedly saying 'no-one's going to feed me'. Tustin's son can also be heard offering to comfort Arthur. Tustin breaks down in tears.

Mr Hankin: "You have shown more emotion in the last ten seconds than at any stage in the case for Arthur."

Tustin: "It's how he (her son) addresses Arthur how kind he was. Arthur was screaming for food even then. He just said I'm going to give you a cuddle."

Mr Hankin: "It was apparent to your son Arthur needed some love and attention."

Tustin: "He did."

Asked why she did not show any love and attention to Arthur herself she says: "I completely cut myself off. I wasn't interested. I didn't listen. I have already accepted I failed Arthur."

Mr Hankin: "You subjected him to a campaign of appalling cruelty."

Tustin: "Yes."

She explains the clip was recorded at 3.20pm that day and feeding time was not until 4.30pm to 5pm but Arthur was 'screaming for food' by that point. The clip is replayed.

Mr Hankin asks why she is shaking her head and how she is feeling.

Tustin: "It doesn't make me feel on top of the world. It makes me feel like s***. I was still feeding him."

Murder accused branded 'pitiless, cruel woman' who 'hated' boy - updates

 

[nothinonyou]

The court is played an audio clip of Arthur crying and repeatedly saying 'no-one's going to feed me'. Tustin's son can also be heard offering to comfort Arthur. Tustin breaks down in tears.

God love him the only bit of compassion he received in months from Tustin's son!

that is only crying for her son, not the other child starving!! Also shows she's lying when she said the other children were afraid of Arthur and were always fighting with him

 

[Tinksx]

I have no doubt whatsoever that she will be found guilty on all charges. I hope she gets the harshest sentence possible. She has practically admitted to everything minus the salt and the murder. Add to that, she’s been seen with salt on cctv and she was the only person with Arthur when his murder occurred.

If we also take into account, her lack of compassion, her utter disdain, her elaborate lies being exposed, as well as her repeatedly drumming it home how she “couldn’t be bothered”. There is a hell of a lot of aggravating factors, nothing at all to mitigate.

I genuinely cannot believe what I am reading right now.

 

[Carroll520]

that ***** is only crying for her son, not the other child starving!! Also shows she's lying when she said the other children were afraid of Arthur and were always fighting with him

yep i agree, so unusual its one of the first times she has shown emotion, other than when she spoke of her sadness over the abortion and how it affected her. Its all about her, I dont think she feels any sadness for Arthur at all. Her poor kids are probably so messed up after seeing all that went on. I am glad her son showed him affection, god knows he needed it

 

[Carroll520]

I have no doubt whatsoever that she will be found guilty on all charges. I hope she gets the harshest sentence possible. She has practically admitted to everything minus the salt and the murder. Add to that, she’s been seen with salt on cctv and she was the only person with Arthur when his murder occurred.

If we also take into account, her lack of compassion, her utter disdain, her elaborate lies being exposed, as well as her repeatedly drumming it home how she “couldn’t be bothered”. There is a hell of a lot of aggravating factors, nothing at all to mitigate.

I genuinely cannot believe what I am reading right now.

 

[Carroll520]

I have no doubt whatsoever that she will be found guilty on all charges. I hope she gets the harshest sentence possible. She has practically admitted to everything minus the salt and the murder. Add to that, she’s been seen with salt on cctv and she was the only person with Arthur when his murder occurred.

If we also take into account, her lack of compassion, her utter disdain, her elaborate lies being exposed, as well as her repeatedly drumming it home how she “couldn’t be bothered”. There is a hell of a lot of aggravating factors, nothing at all to mitigate.

I genuinely cannot believe what I am reading right now.

a big thing for me and i hope the jury pick up on it too, is that fact she called him a F***ker to her cellmate, after he died. Like who does that! showing her true colours there very clearly

 

[Dotta]

that ***** is only crying for her son, not the other child starving!! Also shows she's lying when she said the other children were afraid of Arthur and were always fighting with him

She seems to cry on demand.
What an actress!

 

[Tinksx]

Also, she stated earlier today that she stopped feeding Arthur from the end of may. She has now just admitted that she was still feeding him. Therefore her defence of “I couldn’t have administered salt as I no longer fed Arthur” will not stand.

Not to mention the numerous times she’s been caught on cctv giving Arthur his food on the blue plate.

Honestly, why she’s taken this to trial and why she’s taken the stand, I will never know.

Something else to bare in mind, look at how horrendous and invoking this case is to us, mere strangers on the internet. Arthur’s family are having to sit there and listen to this. I cannot imagine for a second what they’re going through right now, especially when they alerted the correct authorities with their concerns and were dismissed (and threatened with arrest). This whole case is the stuff of nightmares!

 

[Tortoise]

16:18SARAH PROBERT
Tustin says she was 'following the rules' set by Hughes
The court is played further audio clips of Arthur crying and complaining.

Mr Hankin: "Is it the case you didn't realise what you were doing was cruel until after the event?"

Tustin: "Yes."

She explains she was aware she and Hughes were treating Arthur 'differently', but denies she knew that was cruel at the time.

Tustin repeats that she was 'following the rules' set by Hughes.

Mr Hankin: "You were not an instrument of Mr Hughes you were a leader in the cruelty."

Tustin: "No."

Mr Hankin: "You and Tom Hughes were in this together weren't you?"

Tustin: "Yes we both contributed yes."

[Mr Hankin: ? ] "The rules were made. I followed them even when Arthur was just with me."

Murder accused branded 'pitiless, cruel woman' who 'hated' boy - updates