Lola James: Doctor feared attack by murder accused, court told
- Published
Lola James died at the Noah's Ark children's hospital on 21 July, 2020
A man accused of murdering his partner's two-year-old toddler left a doctor fearing she would be attacked by him, a court has heard.
Lola James died in hospital in July 2020 having suffered a "catastrophic" head injury and 101 external injuries.
Dr Nicola Drake said she was trying to establish how Lola had died when Kyle Bevan, 31, became "agitated".
He denies murdering her four months after moving in with Lola's mother.
Sinead James, 30, denies causing or allowing her daughter's death at the family home in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire.
On Tuesday, Dr Drake, a consultant emergency doctor at Withybush Hospital, said Mr Bevan became "angry about being asked so many questions" while she spoke to the family about the events leading to Lola's admission to hospital.
"First of all he said he didn't give any permission for that to be shared," she told Swansea Crown Court.
She said Mr Bevan then told her that "if you take one step out of this room with those notes I will rip them out of your hands".
"I was very frightened, my heart was pounding and I was very worried it might lead to an attack and I was in a very small room," she said.
"I stayed very still and calm and then told him what would happen if he did carry out the threat. So I said to him if he touched me or if he touched the notes I would call the police."
Dr Drake said Mr Bevan replied by saying "ha, police" in a "dismissive way as if he didn't care".
Lola's mother Sinead James is charged with causing or allowing her daughter's death
Asked by prosecutor Caroline Rees KC how Sinead James behaved when she returned to the room, Dr Drake said she told Mr Bevan "they should cooperate with the investigation".
The court also heard from Dr Nia John, a consultant paediatrician who saw Lola when she arrived at Noah's Ark Children's Hospital for Wales, Cardiff.
The jury saw images of bruising to Lola's head and body including puncture wounds and scratches.
She told them that based on her assessment, the injuries were "non-accidental" and further investigation then took place.
'Most extensive bruising I've seen'
A statement from Dr Jonathan Holman, who helped with the transfer of Lola from Withybush Hospital to the hospital in Cardiff, was also read out.
It said as part of his duties Dr Holman carried out an initial assessment of the patient and found "multiple bruising in size, shape and colour" to her body.
He added that her clothing "was soaking wet" and from his assessment he felt Lola's injuries did not fit with the explanation given by Mr Bevan.
The court previously heard that Mr Bevan claimed Lola's injuries were the result of the family's dog pushing her down the stairs.
Dr Michelle Jardin, who cared for Lola in hospital, said in a statement that the toddler's body "was one of the most extensively bruised and battered ones" she had ever seen.
The statement added: "She was unlikely to survive".
Ambulance technician Martin Goodchild, who was one of the first at the scene, said Lola's mother was "on her own, very upset, crying" when he arrived.
"She looked in a distressed state," he said. "I could see bruises to her forehead and signs of darkness around her eyes."
He said that when he entered the house he saw Mr Bevan walking around the sitting room repeatedly saying "the dog has got to go".
The trial continues.
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