Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: 'Bullying' couple 'poisoned' boy, 6, with salt

Arthur Labinjo-Hughes' head was banged repeatedly against a hard surface, Coventry Crown Court heard

A "bullying" father and stepmother "poisoned" a six-year-old boy with salt and exposed him to months of "cruel" abuse, a court has heard.

Thomas Hughes and his girlfriend Emma Tustin are jointly accused of murdering Arthur Labinjo-Hughes at her home in Shirley, Solihull, on 17 June 2020.

Prosecutors said his head was "banged repeatedly against a hard surface" causing an "unsurvivable brain injury".

The couple are also accused of multiple counts of child cruelty.

It is alleged Ms Tustin, 32, of Cranmore Road, carried out the fatal assault while in sole care of Arthur and fetched her mobile phone immediately afterwards to take a photograph of the youngster as he lay dying in the hallway.

Prosecutors said despite having her phone, she took 12 minutes to call 999, telling medics Arthur "fell and banged his head and while on the floor banged his head another five times".

Jonas Hankin QC, for the prosecution, told jurors at Coventry Crown Court that Ms Tustin's account included the suggestion "Arthur had headbutted her during the incident" and had treated the couple badly.

Mr Hughes, 29, of Stroud Road, and Ms Tustin allegedly forced Arthur to endure "systematic, cruel behaviour", both "physical and psychological" in the weeks before he died.

One witness said the previously happy and healthy boy looked "as though he were broken" on the day of his death.

The same witness said that when Arthur "secretly" asked him for a drink of water, while Mr Hughes and Ms Tustin were out of the room, "he had to hold [the glass] to Arthur's mouth" because he was "too weak to hold it himself".

Opening the case on Thursday, Mr Hankin said: "His clothes looked dirty, his lips cracked, he could barely open his mouth to speak, his hair was dirty, his nails were dirty and he looked malnourished, gaunt and worn-out."

Arthur was "segregated and isolated" for "up to 14 hours a day", the court was told, often made to stay on the step next to the hallway by the front door, and prevented from having food and drink.

Mr Hankin said the evidence indicated Arthur was isolated and "physically and verbally abused", while access to food and drink were "controlled or restricted".

He told the jury "Arthur was made to sleep on the living room floor" at Ms Tustin's home in Solihull and after his death, "a duvet was found in a cupboard under the stairs".

'Put him out with the rubbish'

The jury was told medical evidence revealed the boy died from "head trauma inflicted on him by an adult" and the most likely cause was that he had been "vigorously shaken and his head banged repeatedly against a hard surface".

Notes from hospital doctors who treated him after his collapse revealed he had also been "poisoned with salt" and had suffered extensive bruising.

Ms Tustin took pictures and recorded audio clips and videos of Arthur being punished, sending them to Mr Hughes, jurors were told.

On 6 May 2020, Mr Hughes texted Ms Tustin, telling her: "Tell him not to move a muscle - put him by the fridge, put him outside or wherever, give him away.

"Put him out with the rubbish."

The prosecutor said Ms Tustin recorded more than 200 audio files of Arthur in "various stages of distress".

In some of the recordings he was heard saying: "Please help me, help me uncle, they're not feeding me, I need some food and a drink."

The court was told that in June last year, Mr Hughes told a neighbour: "If you hear anyone saying 'don't kill me', ignore it, I'm not hurting him."

Floral tributes were laid at the scene in 2020

Mr Hankin said emergency services were called to reports Arthur had "sustained a self-inflicted head injury at his stepmother's home address", with paramedics noting a "large bruise" on his forehead.

He suffered a cardiac arrest, but medics got his heart beating and rushed him to Birmingham Children's Hospital.

His head injuries were said to be unsurvivable and Arthur died shortly before 01:00 BST on 17 June.

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The jury was told that Arthur had been in the sole care of his father after his natural mother, Olivia Labinjo, was convicted of a killing in February 2019.

On the first day of the trial, Ms Tustin admitted child cruelty by ill-treating, while Mr Hughes denies a similar charge. They each deny murder.

The pair also face an allegation of child cruelty by administering salt to Arthur between 1 and 17 June last year.

Both are also accused of two counts of child cruelty by assault on multiple occasions and also by withholding food and/or drink.

The trial continues.