Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: Murder-accused stepmother denies lying

The court

A stepmother accused of murdering a six-year-old boy has denied changing her account to fit the evidence.

Emma Tustin is accused of fatally shaking and hitting Arthur Labinjo-Hughes at her home in Solihull in June 2020.

She denies murder and two counts of child cruelty.

The 32-year-old also told Coventry Crown Court a transcript of a police interview soon after Arthur's death was inaccurate.

Prosecutors alleged Ms Tustin was responsible for the fatal blows inflicted on the six-year-old, after he had been weakened by months of physical and mental abuse, salt poisoning and starvation.

Arthur's father Thomas Hughes, 29, while not present at the time of the death is alleged to have aided in the murder and also faces three counts of child cruelty. He denies all charges.

Earlier in the trial, Ms Tustin told the court that the first she knew of the boy's injury was hearing a "bang" and a "sickening crack" in the hallway and she found him unconscious.

'Caught out'

However, during cross-examination on Monday, prosecutor Jonas Hankin QC put it to Ms Tustin that she had told police that Arthur was initially conscious.

"You've been caught out lying haven't you?" Mr Hankin said.

She replied: "I haven't been caught out."

Mr Hankin said: "This interview was three days after the event, that you are describing a very memorable event and you are emphasising the crack [you heard].

"Then you go to pick him up - and it is when you are with him, he loses consciousness.

"That is wholly at odds with what you are now saying to the jury. Why?"

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CCTV footage filmed inside the lounge was played in court, showing Ms Tustin going out of shot and into the hallway on multiple occasions, around the time of Arthur's fatal collapse.

Mr Hankin asked her: "You've changed your account haven't you?"

The defendant replied: "Yes - because after I reviewed CCTV it showed I was not on the sofa and drinking my pop - that was the last thing I remembered."

On Monday she also claimed her police interview transcript, the contents of which are agreed by her defence team, was "inaccurate".

Ms Tustin later said: "I don't even remember speaking to them [the police], I was tired. I did not lie."

Ms Tustin, of Cranmore Road, has admitted one count of child cruelty, but denies two other similar charges.

The trial continues.