Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: Murder-accused 'couldn't be bothered' with doctor

The court previously heard Arthur Labinjo-Hughes appeared to be drained and weak on the days before he died

A woman accused of murdering her six-year-old stepson has said she did not take him to a doctor because she "couldn't be bothered with the daily stress he was causing".

Emma Tustin denies killing Arthur Labinjo-Hughes in Solihull in June 2020, as well as child cruelty charges.

She claims he died from self-inflicted head injuries.

On Friday, the 32-year-old rejected claims from the prosecution that she felt hatred towards the youngster.

Arthur's father Thomas Hughes is also charged with child cruelty and murder, both of which he denies, but the prosecution allege it was Ms Tustin who administered the fatal injury at her home in Cranmore Road in Shirley.

'Things got tough'

Giving evidence for a fourth day at Coventry Crown Court, Ms Tustin told prosecutor Jonas Hankin QC she did not consider herself "responsible in any way" for causing Arthur's death.

She has admitted one count of child cruelty, but denies two other similar charges.

Asked why she had subjected Arthur over a period of months to a "campaign of cruelty", she said: "I can't tell you why I did that - things got tough."

Mr Hankin then asked who things had got tough for. She answered: "For me, for Tom, for Arthur."

Jurors have previously heard Arthur endured a cruel punishment regime, including salt poisoning and being forced to stand for up to 12 hours a day in the hallway.

The court was told Ms Tustin's mother and stepfather had made an anonymous referral to social services as they felt Arthur was in danger.

"Why didn't you do anything to protect Arthur if you thought he was in danger?" Mr Hankin asked Ms Tustin.

"I was living in that situation," she replied. "I knew he [Mr Hughes] would have found out it was me that did it [contacted social services] and I was scared for myself."

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A video she filmed in which Arthur could be seen repeatedly striking himself in the face was played to the court and when asked if she had driven the child to behave that way, she said: "At that point not."

She acknowledged she said nothing and ignored him when he said he wanted to go to the doctor, adding she had "given up on him".

However, she also told jurors she would have taken another child to a doctor if they had been "reduced to a state of physical and mental exhaustion" and had collapsed.

Mr Hankin asked: "Why did you not do that for Arthur?"

Ms Tustin replied: "I couldn't be bothered with the daily stress that he was causing."

The trial continues.