Police informed the grandmother of the boy who was allegedly killed by his parents that she would be arrested if her house was broken Covid rules.
An officer told Thomas Hughes’ mother and brother Daniel not to see Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, six, at the house in Solihull, West Midlands, the jury was told.
The West Midlands Police worker was said to be reluctant to accept pictures highlighting the alleged abuse Arthur had suffered, Coventry Crown Court heard.
Daniel told jurors he never heard back from the force despite the images showing bruises on the boy’s back.
After suffering severe abuse from Hughes, 29 and Emma Tustin 32, the youngster was allegedly murdered.
According to the court, Arthur was subject to a systematic abuse by the couple ‘designed terrorise’ him.
Arthur was allegedly starved, made to stand in a hallway for 14 hour a day, and then poisoned with salt. He was finally killed at his home last June.
Hughes and Tustin deny murder as well as multiple counts of child cruelty.
Arthur Labinjo Hughes, six, was allegedly murdered after he suffered systemic abuse that matched the medical definition of child cruelty’. His stepfather Thomas Hughes, 29 and his stepmother Emma Tustin 32, both deny murder and child cruelty.
Hughes and Tustin (pictured), are believed to have subjected Arthur ‘designed to torture’ to systematic cruelty.
Jurors heard today that Arthur’s uncle, and paternal grandmother raised concerns with police and social services in April 2020 after discovering the bruises.
Before telling social services that she was concerned about her grandson’s injuries, she took photos of his back.
But, the secondary school teacher testified that they didn’t want to see them. I offered, but they refused.
Mrs Hughes claimed that Arthur confided to him how Tustin had also banged against a wall and called him an ‘horrible little brat.
Daniel claimed that he sent photos of the bruises to police when he visited Tustin’s house with other relatives. However, he never received a reply.
He stated that he had logged on to the West Midlands Police websitechat to inquire about what he could do to ensure the safety of his nephew.
“I had a webchat and operative. I was given a case number, and within ten minutes, a private number was called.
“A police officer identified himself and stated that he had been to the address and spoken with Miss Tustin, Tom. We were informed that if the address was not returned to, we would be detained.
“I stated that I had photos showing Arthur’s injuries. I didn’t believe that Arthur would be content that he was okay if he had.
“He reluctantly accepted the photos and said that he would speak with his sergeant to get back to me. He never did.’
Arthur succumbed to ‘unsurvivable’ brain injuries on Tuesday, June 16, and was pronounced dead at Birmingham Children’s Hospital the next day.
The court heard that the ‘bullying father’ told a doctor he wanted to say’sorry to his son before his life support was cut.
Hughes cried, “it’s all mine fault,” after being told Arthur couldn’t be done more. The jury was informed.
At the trial in Coventry, a policeman described the moment when a consultant at Birmingham Children’s Hospital told Hughes over the phone that Arthur would need no further treatment.
PC Cameron Bennett said to jurors, “He was very upset.” He stated that it was all my fault, it was all my fault.
“He asked the consultant for an apology to Arthur to let him know that he was sorry.”
Prosecutors allege that Arthur was subjected by Hughes and Tustin to months of cruelty, which they claim matches the’medical definitions for child torture’.
Hours after being allegedly attacked by Tustin, the boy died of ‘unsurvivable brain injury’.
PC Bennett was watching Hughes after he was initially detained on suspicion of causing grievous bodily injury. Hughes claimed that he had admitted to ‘clipping’ Arthur and said: ‘Then, I spent an hour crying in the shower about it.
Hughes was reported to have said that Hughes also added: “He tested me last night – I gave him a smack in the legs.”
Hughes (left), is accused of forcing his child to endure ‘physical’ and ‘psychological’ abuses in the weeks prior to his death.
Coventry Crown Court heard Hughes hit his head more then 200 times against the wall of his cell when he was detained and arrested.
CCTV footage also showed Hughes looking at the wall of his cell for 30 mins before he hit his head.
Hughes spoke out for the first time to police officers just hours after Arthur’s death.
He said that he almost felt that if I kept him from being clipped, he would push the boundaries to be more aggressive.
“It almost became a tale of two personalities. Arthur should show respect to his parents, just like his dad’s ego.
“And Arthur’s ego of “what boundaries can I push since I’ve never had them before”‘.
It appears as if two egos have clashed. This is unfortunately the end result.
Arthur Labinjo Hughes, six, (pictured above, with his father) was found with dozens more bruises, post-mortem exams showed.
Arthur was taken into Hughes’ full-time care after Olivia LabinjoHalcrow, her new partner, was accused of murdering Gary Cunningham in February 2019.
Jurors were told Hughes then accepted Tustin’s offer ‘hook line and sinker’ and moved into Hughes’ home when the country was placed under lockdown in March 2020.
Hughes stated that Arthur struggled with his mother’s imprisonment and the effects of lockdown in his police interview.
He said, “Because Arthur was still experiencing behaviour issues due to lockdown, he took the brunt.
“He would get a smack less than he should. I believe that was because I was frustrated.
“Although it sounds terrible, I couldn’t hit my partner because her name is a woman. I could not lay a hand on her or her children.
“So Arthur took the brunt my frustrations unfairly.” Hughes admitted to giving Arthur a little clip’ or even a tap to the head, but said that he didn’t feel like a bad father.
Prosecutors claim that Tustin killed the youngster while she was at home alone with him, and Hughes intentionally encouraged the killing.
Tustin claimed that Arthur’s injuries to his head were self-inflicted, in a 999 phone call. Tustin claimed that he had ‘banged on his head on all fours while lying on the ground’.
Arthur was reported to have spent more 14 hours’segregated, isolated’ in a hallway before being made to sleep on a floor of a living room.
Olivia LabinjoHalcrow, Arthur’s natural mother (left), was previously in prison for 18 years after she stabbed Gary Cunningham (12 times) at their home in a drunken rage.
It is also alleged that he was deprived of food and drink. Jurors were able to hear text messages between Hughes, Tustin that discussed alleged abuse.
Hughes threatened to ‘take off his jaws’ and told Tustin, ‘Just gag him or some such thing. Tie a rope around Hughes’s mouth with a sock or something.
Hughes stated that he was confident that if you searched his phone, you will find information that I said to Emma.
“Emma always said “no, he is not my child” and she refused to do it. He said, “She never put a hand on him.” To my knowledge, anyway.
Hughes said he ‘slapped’ and ‘whacked’ Arthur for calling Tustin a ‘fat, ugly b****’ but denied ‘losing control’.
Mary-Anne Smith, a neighbour, said to the jury that she heard ‘roaring’ through the walls of their semi-detached houses.
She claimed that she heard a man telling someone to face the wall and not move.
She said, “To be honest, it wasn’t something I really paid much attention to.” I heard a lot more roaring. There was a lot of swearing and whatever else.
“It wasn’t anything concerning. There was nothing that could be considered as harm. [It was]You hear the same things from every household. I wasn’t concerned.
Miss Smith described a conversation she had with Hughes two weeks prior to Arthur’s alleged murder.”
He said that he heard my son saying, “Please don’t kill him, he’s got problems, he suffers with ADHD or autism.” I replied, “Don’t worry, to be honest, I didn’t hear any ”.’.”
One witness testified that Arthur was too weak to even hold a glass water in his mouth.
They also claimed that his clothes were stained, his lips cracked, his mouth was unable to open, his hair was dirty, nails were rusted, and he looked tired and malnourished.
An earlier part of the trial, a medical expert stated that Arthur was shaken and slammed by’very severe force’.
Daniel Du Plessis, neuropathologist consultant, stated that Arthur’s chances of sustaining fatal head injuries are ‘inconceivable.
Jonas Hankin QC, opened the trial and stated that both defendants were involved in a campaign for cruelty to cause Arthur severe pain and suffering.
‘Violence, intimidation, both verbal and physical, were a routine.
“Arthur’s visible injuries and his deplorable physical condition provided each defendant with a daily reminder about the extent to which the other would go in order to cause him harm.”
The trial continues.