Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: Father cut up shirts as punishment

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

A father accused of murdering his six-year-old son cut up two of his football shirts in front of him as a punishment, a court heard.

Thomas Hughes told a jury it had left his son, Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, "visibly upset".

His partner Emma Tustin, 32, is accused of fatally harming Arthur at her home in Solihull, leaving him with an "unsurvivable" brain injury.

Both Mr Hughes and Ms Tustin deny murder and child cruelty charges.

Coventry Crown Court has previously heard the pair forced the six-year-old to eat salt-laced meals and subjected him to months of abuse likened to "torture".

Ms Tustin has previously claimed that Arthur's fatal head injury was self-inflicted.

Giving evidence in his defence on Friday, Mr Hughes was asked about events prior to his son's death at the property on Cranmore Road, on 16 June 2020.

Mary Prior QC, representing Ms Tustin, asked the 29-year-old about cutting up the Birmingham City shirts, after it was claimed by his partner that Arthur had ripped up two photographs around April or May, 2020.

Mr Hughes told the jury he did not see his son rip up the pictures but did punish Arthur for it, by cutting up two football shirts in front of him.

When Ms Prior asked him: "Do you agree that's nasty and cruel?" Mr Hughes replied: "Yes."

The court heard Mr Hughes also "ripped up Arthur's favourite blanket" and then put the remnants "in the bin".

Jurors previously heard how Mr Hughes removed his son's favourite teddy bear and that Arthur had no bed at the property, and instead slept on the floor in the lounge where he was monitored by CCTV camera.

• Latest news from the West Midlands.

Although not present for the alleged fatal assault, Mr Hughes, of Stroud Road, Solihull, is accused of aiding in the killing, and faces three counts of child cruelty - all of which he denies.

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

The trial continues.