The mother and stepdad of Logan Mwangi have been found guilty of murdering the five-year-old before his body was dumped in a river.
Posted on 04/21/2022 9:59:19 PM PDT by nickcarraway
These sweet images show Logan Mwangi as he should be remembered – a sweet and loving schoolboy with an infectious smile and a "wicked laugh". The five-year-old was described as a "happy, caring, loving, and intelligent child" who was a "total joy" to staff at the school he attended.
Logan was found dead on July 31 last year in a river near his home in Bridgend. Logan’s mother Williamson, 31, of Lower Llansantffraid, Sarn, Bridgend, and stepdad John Cole, 40, of Maesglas, Ynysawdre, Bridgend, should have been the people he could trust more than anyone else in the world. Instead they murdered him. A third defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons due to his age, also pleaded not guilty to murder and all three stood trial at Cardiff Crown Court where on Thursday they were convicted of murder.
Prosecutors alleged Logan had been subjected to a “brutal and sustained assault” prior to his death and suffered the kind of injuries usually seen in car crash victims before his body was dumped in the River Ogmore. You can get all the verdicts now the case has concluded and check all the latest developments by going here.
Read more:Go here to recap the prosecution case in full
Following the trial South Wales Police released two new images of Logan. One shows the smiling youngster waving his hands at the camera while in another he is wearing the distinctive dinosaur pyjamas that featured prominently during the case.
During the trial Wendy John, a learning support officer at Tondu Primary School, gave evidence about Logan. She said: “I first met Logan in 2019 when he attended pre-nursery class. He was a happy, caring, loving, and intelligent child. He was always pleasant and polite and had a wicked laugh. He always made me happy and was a perfect child. He loved school life and helping teachers. He could not do enough for us and asked us if we were okay. He was a total joy and amazing." You can read more of what she had to say here.
Away from his happy time at school, though, Logan's home life was a tormented one. The lengthy murder trial heard how he was denied food, subjected to physical punishment, and shouted and sworn at.
Former couple Daniel O'Brien and Jodie Simmonds gave evidence during the case. Mr O'Brien went into the witness box first. He said he met Cole in 2017 and they used to train together in the gym five days a week. He later met Williamson and Logan, who he said called him “Uncle Dan”.
He said he and Cole were "training partners" but they had lost touch in 2019. On July 31 last year he received a call saying Logan had been found in the river and died. He went and bought flowers, cards, and a teddy bear in order to pay his respects. He said: “I was in shock, you know.” Mr O’Brien visited Cole and Williamson at Maesglas and stayed for two and a half hours.
Prosecutor Caroline Rees QC asked him: “How did Angharad react?” The witness replied: "She was acting really strange, nervous. Something weren’t right like, you know… She said she missed punishing Logan. I was in shock. I looked at [Jodie] and shook my head. [Cole] was heaving a lot like he was going to be sick.”
Ms Rees said: “How did [the youth] act?” Mr O’Brien said: “It was like he was celebrating – he seemed happy. It was a shock really – I couldn’t believe it like.” Mr O'Brien also recounted how Cole had told him in 2019 that he "didn't like Logan".
EVIDENCE SHOWN DURING LOGAN MWANGI MURDER TRIAL
When Ms Simmonds gave evidence she recalled an incident at Christmas 2019 when Cole and Logan were in the little boy’s room. She said: “Jay was sat in the doorway, Logan was in a push-up position… [His arms] looked tired and they were shaking. I remember them shaking. He was upset, crying, and had a runny nose… I was told he had been naughty and needed to learn."
Ms Rees said: “Who told you that?” Ms Simmonds said: “Jay (a nickname for John Cole)… Logan collapsed, he lost the weight on his arms. Jay told him to get back in position and his time would start again… [Logan] followed the instructions… He was three, four years old…
“I went into the kitchen with Jay and discussed with him how old Logan was and if it was appropriate to be dealing with Logan that way… I was agitated, angry, frustrated at what I had listened to… He didn’t listen, shrugged it off, wasn’t concerned at all… I was upset… I got Angharad and told her… She was in the back garden smoking.”
Ms Rees said: “What did she say?” Ms Simmonds said: “That he needs to learn because his behaviour had been so poor… That Logan needed to learn his lesson.” Ms Rees said: “Did she appear bothered?” Ms Simmonds said: “No… I left the property. They knew I was upset about what I had witnessed… I tried to break away from the family.”
On another occasion she described how Cole prevented Logan from eating KFC after she bought a bucket of fast food to share. She said the little boy "was being brushed off and being told he wasn’t allowed to eat the KFC with us because of his behaviour" with Cole telling him he wasn't allowed the treat as he had been "misbehaving". Ms Simmonds said: “[Cole] said he hadn’t been good enough to deserve fast food." Logan was only allowed Weetabix, she said, was Cole gloated about "how tasty the food was, almost rubbing it in".
The witness also said there was a big change in Logan’s personality and appearance in the time she knew him. "He was withdrawn, lost visible weight at the time, his complexion was quite pale. His demeanour was very down, quiet.” During cross-examination she added: “He was becoming more withdrawn because he was being punished all the time… He was being sent to his room, being told off all the time, being denied cakes and confectionery.”
Kevin Gorman, a neighbour of Williamson in Lower Llansantffraid, Sarn, described Logan as a "chatty and happy young boy" when he gave evidence but added: "In the last 12 to 18 months his demeanour did change quite a lot. He went very withdrawn and quiet.”
He said Cole and Williamson had a "volatile" relationship characterised by arguments. Asked about the way they spoke to Logan he said: “As time went on closer to what we’re talking about today it was getting worse and worse shouting at him – and I mean shouting at him. He would get quite upset, poor boy."
Prosecutor Ms Rees asked him: “Were you aware of incidents of how he was treated?” Mr Gorman said: “There was a number. Two weeks before Logan’s demise I could hear Ann [Williamson] going out the door to school. He ran out to the gate and she said: ‘Don’t go through that f****** gate’.
“[Logan] shouted down to her friend with two young children – she was coming up the path. Logan shouted and [Williamson] said: “Logan I told you stop your f****** shouting, everyone can f****** hear you, shut up’. She said: ‘He’s being a f****** d***head again’. Ann said that to her friend about Logan.”
Ms Rees also asked: “If Logan was shouted at how did he react?” Mr Gorman said: “If shouting was going on I heard him cry a lot. I can’t say every week, every day. Some weeks it could be every day and some weeks it would go without nothing.”
During his evidence in the trial Cole claimed while Logan was denied takeaway food “probably three or four times” he had been given other food instead. He also told the court he got the youngster to do press-ups “to burn up energy”. Cole said: “We used to have takeaway nights and stuff. If he’d been really naughty we wouldn’t have given him the takeaway but we’d give him other food….. It happened probably three or four times.”
He also laid the blame for a burn on Logan's neck at Williamson's door. Cole said: “Basically me and Angharad were in the kitchen. He was running around, being quite boisterous. Angharad took the teaspoon out of her coffee and put it on the back of his neck.”
Mr Elias asked if Cole was concerned about that and the defendant replied: “Yes. She said it wasn’t a big deal and her dad used to do it to her. I said: ‘You can’t do that’ and we reported it to social services as an [accidental] burn.”
The defendant was also asked about a fracture to Logan’s collarbone several weeks before his death. Cole said: “I weren’t aware of a fracture. I know he hurt his shoulder after falling off a wheelchair but neither of us were aware of a fracture.” Logan didn’t have any medical treatment because the couple didn’t believe he needed it, the court heard.
In the wake of the convictions NSPCC Cymru called for a child safeguarding practice review. Tracey Holdsworth, assistant director of the organisation, said: “The treatment of Logan Mwangi by people who should have been caring for him was horrific but for his death to have involved another young person is even more shocking.
“However we cannot lose sight of the fact that one of those found guilty is still a child and the response to him must be one of both punishment and appropriate support. A Child Safeguarding Practice Review must now leave no stone unturned in establishing exactly what took place before Logan died and whether more could have been done to protect him. There must also be more investment in children’s services in Wales to ensure they are able to provide comprehensive support to any child at risk of harm and be better equipped to prevent a tragedy such as this happening again in Wales.”
Senior investigating officer detective inspector Lianne Rees, of the South Wales Police major crime investigations team, said: “Logan was a beautiful, bright, and innocent five-year-old little boy with his whole life ahead of him.
“It is difficult to imagine how Logan must have suffered at the hands of those who he trusted and inconceivable that those who should have loved and protected him betrayed him in the worst possible way. Attempts to cover up the crime in the hours following Logan’s death and the subsequent web of lies and deceit that were to follow are an indication of their callousness and lack of remorse."
“Those sure are some common Welsh names.”
Between the people names, place names and behavior, I thought it was tribal Africa until I got to “Cardiff Crown Court.”
[[I thank God this child is with the Lord - enjoying those who love him now. And sometimes in Gods wisdom he simply takes these children home to himself.]]
You bring up,a very good point. It very well could,be that God spared that child, for his,own purposes, knowingmthst the child would become a monster himself if he hadn’t died, and instead of allowing him to grow up, reject God, and live a life of evil himself (many kids ,I’ve the very evil lives their parents did- some don’t, but many do, and God knows who,will or wont), and God acted tl stop.the vicious circle of evil before it went any further, and now that child, instead of growing up, dying in sin and ending up In hell, is now with God for eternity.
Some might argue that God then denied that child their free will choice, but it wasn’t God that did so, it was the wvil,parent or caretaker who did, and thankfully God takes the young to,heaven to,be with him whenthey die before the age of reckoning.
It’s a tricky subject to,be sure. Noone wants a child to suffer except,evil people, God allowed the evil because this world,is,in Satan’s control to a point, and folks are rightfully,upset that the child died, but it may have been for reasons we don’t know, or to,break the vicious circle,of hate and evil- we just don’t know because we dont,know,the future like God does. And we don’t know extenuating circumstances like,he does. Everything thstnis done has a rippling effect that affects others - sometimes for a great long while,afterwards. We tend to only focus on the immediate results of evil acts.
It very well,could,be that the death of,the child causes some people to turn to christ because they see the evil,that happened and don’t want any part of it. We don’t know God’s plan for allowing the evil one to so influence the caretakers that they would hurt and kill the child. It is terrible that it happened, terrible that we live in a world where evil is rampant, but God can and does bring good out of evil, thus defeating the evil one’s goals. Too many folks blame the event on God when it wasn’t God but the caretakers and Satan who urged the deeds in the lives of people who rejected God and gave themselves over to their evil desires
The why's of why some overcome cancer or other debilitating diseases and others don't - why some even get cancer and others don't? The list could go on. But I do believe in the wisdom of God and He allows such things - always using them for the good regardless of the initial impact. This child is now with the Lord - being loved and enjoying all that's in heaven. And that's worthy of praise to God...
No it doesnt
I can wish them dead with my mind but i dont have telekinesis to actually do that, even though I can think of doing it
My free will is limited, i don’t have unlimited or special powers even though I can envision those kinds of scenarios, I cant carry them out
What is your definition of free will? Free Will is being able to make choices for your actions. It’s not an jeanie in a bottle.
Free will is being able to decide what we do or don’t want to do. Its the exercise of choice. But its not unlimited free will. Only God has unlimited free will.
We have limited free will. We can’t exercise unlimited choices. We cannot actually do everything we would like to do. We are limited by the constraints of the natural world and time. Our bodies also limit our free will.
If I had unlimited free will, many thugs in my life would have been dead just from my very thoughts.
I agree with this: “Free will is being able to decide what we do or don’t want to do. Its the exercise of choice.” Yes, a choice, not a wish or desire.
“We cannot actually do everything we would like to do.”
This has nothing to do with making choices. You have the free will to wish all the thugs in your life were dead, it has nothing to do with the ability to follow through with those wishes or desires.
You cant ignore the fact that limited free will and unlimited free will exist. Its a major difference.
I’m not ignoring it, I disagree with it completely.
The mother and stepdad of Logan Mwangi have been found guilty of murdering the five-year-old before his body was dumped in a river.
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