An evil stepfather who murdered two-year-old Lola James in a brutal attack, before filming her as she lay dying, was today jailed for life with a minimum term of 28 years.
Drug abuser Kyle Bevan, 31, carried out a ‘frenzied and extremely violent attack’ on the toddler leaving her with 101 bruises and scratches, as well as a catastrophic brain injury.
Lola’s mother – Sinead James, 30 – who was found guilty of allowing Lola’s death to happen, was sentenced for six years, but will only serve three.
James was also was warned her boyfriend was dangerous just eight days before he carried out the fatal attack.
His ex-partner’s mother messaged James on Facebook to say Bevan was a ‘child protection risk’, telling her: ‘I’m concerned about the fact that he is around your children.’
The court heard that one doctor who examined Lola said she was ‘the most battered and bruised child’ she had ever seen during her long career.
Lola joins a harrowing rollcall of children – including Finley Boden, Star Hobson, Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Logan Mwangi – who were left alone to die at the hands of their killer parents during lockdown.
Two-year-old Lola James (pictured) was killed by Kyle Bevan who carried out a ‘frenzied and extremely violent attack’ leaving the toddler with 101 bruises and a catastrophic brain injury
Kyle Bevan, 31, was today jailed for life today at Swansea Crown Court after one doctor said Lola was ‘the most battered and bruised child’ she had ever seen
Lola’s mother Sinead James, 30, was today sentenced to six years, of which she will only serve three
Bevan, a self-confessed ‘spice head’, had moved into the toddler’s squalid home in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, just days after he met Lola’s mother on Facebook.
Lola died in hospital four days after the horrific attack in the rubbish-strewn home, which social services failed to check up on due to Covid restrictions, on July 17 2020.
Passing sentence at Swansea Crown Court, Judge Justice Griffiths said: ‘Lola was a very young child, two years and 10 months old.
‘She was particularly vulnerable, not being strong enough to resist or old enough to tell anyone what was happening. Kyle Bevan was in a position of trust. Having assumed the role, as he described himself to the ambulance crew, of Lola’s stepfather.
‘I am sure that Kyle Bevan did this as an exercise of power and assertion of superiority over the only person who he could feel superior to, a helpless child.’
Throughout the sentencing hearing at Swansea Crown Court Bevan remained expressionless and showed no emotion as he was jailed for life for murdering little Lola.
Her mother remained tearful throughout the sentencing and cried when she was jailed for six years.
The judge said Bevan, from Aberystwyth, has shown no remorse for what he has done but had only shown concern for himself.
Bevan denied he had harmed Lola, instead claiming that the family’s American bulldog Jessie had pushed her down the stairs.
James, who had been in bed when the brutal attack is believed to have happened, was found guilty of causing or allowing her daughter’s death.
John Hipkin KC, defending Bevan, said ‘there was ‘little or no mitigation’ he could offer for his client after his conviction for murder.
David Elias KC, defending James, said she was ‘in fear’ of Bevan’s reaction if she went to the police after being the victim of domestic violence at the hands of previous partners.
Speaking at the sentencing hearing today, Lola’s grandmother Nicola James, told Bevan to ‘look at (her)’ as she read a victim impact statement where she blamed herself for what had happened.
She said: ‘Kyle, you took the young innocent life of my granddaughter. At the same time you have taken so much more that you can imagine.
‘You killed my Lola and you have broken her family. I hope the time you have now you can understand what you have done.
Photographs of the home showed old takeaway boxes and cigarette buts on a wooden table
Lola was rushed to hospital with the horrific injuries where she remained for four days until her death on July 17 2020
Lola’s father Daniel Thomas pictured outside of court today. He told the court: ‘Lola was as bright as the golden sun. She was beautiful, charming and cheeky – her laugh would fill the room with pure joy’
‘Lola’s clothes still hang in the wardrobe and her toys are still in the cupboard, but she is no longer here.’
Mrs James had been due to baby-sit Lola on the fateful night of her murder but was feeling ill at the time.
She told the court she blamed herself for what happened and was left wondering why she didn’t spot the domestic abuse going on in the family home.
Mrs James said: ‘I sit outside her house every night talking to Lola’s star in the sky and telling her about everything that has happened that day.
‘Lola would spend happy days in the garden eating the strawberries and apples they had grown.
‘She was a cheeky monkey and never happier than when wearing her wellies, playing outside, caked in mud.’
Lola’s heartbroken father Daniel James said: ‘Lola was as bright as the golden sun. She was beautiful, charming and cheeky – her laugh would fill the room with pure joy.
‘As a parent all I could hope for was that Lola would continue to grow with happiness and health and with the courage in her heart to know she could be anything, and do anything she wanted but that will never be.’
‘Lola didn’t just die, wasn’t just taken from me in the worst way ever possible, she was brutally attacked – her tiny body was savaged in the evilest way, she didn’t stand a chance.
‘Lola’s little life was filled with filth and chaos at the hands of her mother who couldn’t even provide her with basic safety in her own home.
‘The guilt I feel lives inside me and will never leave, as the memory of Lola lying in a hospital bed fighting to stay alive will remain with me always. All I have been left with is guilt, heartache, pain, and torment.’
The court heard Bevan had a Jekyll and Hyde personality who regularly used amphetamines, Xanex, valium and cannabis.
Lola’s mother was a victim of domestic abuse and had been educated twice on how to spot signs of an abuser, but she chose to priotise her relationship with Bevan over her child’s safety, the court heard previously.
She had been told by the local authority not to invite adults into the family home if she did not know them well or if they were alcohol or drug abusers, but she ignored their advice.
James had tried to check on Bevan’s previous history of domestic abuse through Clarre’s Law but he refused to reveal his date of birth.
NSPCC Cymru said a child practice review, which will be carried out into Lola’s death, should establish whether more could have been done by agencies to prevent her death.
Bevan had moved in the same month social services visited and raised concerns about the conditions of the filthy house, however, authorities failed to return before the child’s death.
The NCPCC Cymru’s assistant director Tracey Holdsworth said: ‘Lola died because of Kyle Bevan’s brutality and the abject failure of her mother, Sinead James, to protect her.
‘The Welsh Government has rightly committed to transforming children’s social care and it is crucial this leads to systemic changes that ensure children like Lola are better protected.’
During the four-week trial, the court heard how Bevan and James met on Facebook in February 2020 and that Bevan moved into the family home within days of them meeting.
He remained living in the house throughout the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic, during which Lola suffered a number of injuries while in his sole care – including a damaged nose, black eyes and a cut lip.
Text messages read out at court showed James once told Bevan that Lola was ‘doing her head in’, before she added: ‘I’ll throw her out the window.’
James (pictured) was a victim of domestic abuse and had been educated twice on how to spot signs of an abuser, but she chose to priotise her relationship with Bevan over her child’s safety, the court heard previously
The trial earlier this month was shown shocking pictures of the squalid home at Swansea Crown Court
Lola’s grandmother paid said her granddaughter (pictured) will ‘forever be our diamond up in the sky’
The Crown Prosecution Service also issued this picture, which shows an unwashed onesie
In another text, killer Bevan wrote to James: ‘Too many kids in the house. Just doing my head in’.
He later claimed Lola fell out of her cot while she was under his care.
He told James: ‘She was stood in her cot, and she dropped to the floor really quickly. She bit her lip on the way down. I tried to help but she kicked off. I feel like you don’t trust me anymore.’
‘Lola needs to get used to me babe, I am not the devil, I think the world of that little girl,’ another said.
James previously admitted Bevan ‘petrified’ her and had previously used a hammer to smash up her home after consuming Xanax and alcohol.
Jurors heard how Bevan regularly used Xanax, Valium and cannabis, and that the couple both took amphetamines when the children were at James’ mother’s house.
When police asked James in January 2021 what steps she had taken to protect Lola, the mother said she ‘never thought’ her daughter was ‘in major danger’. She maintained that her daughter was ‘safe with me’.
Jurors were told that Bevan, a self-confessed ‘spice head’ who had a who had a ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ temper, then launched a ‘murderous’ attack on Lola after staying up late with her and taking pictures of her on Snapchat.
After the fatal attack Bevan covered his tracks rather than call for an ambulance which may have saved the toddler’s life.
He searched the internet for information about head injuries before taking photos of her limp body. The self-confessed Spice user then rang his mother, a healthcare worker, who raised the alarm on March 17 2020.
While Lola was being rushed to hospital, Bevan concocted a story about how the toddler was knocked down the stairs by the family dog despite a baby gate on her room.
Bevan claimed he was innocent, but refused to give evidence during his trial last month at Swansea Crown Court.
The jury were shown photographs Bevan had taken on his phone of marks on Lola’s back and extensive swelling and bruising to her head, eyes and lips.
A disturbing video Bevan sent to his mother showed him picking up Lola’s limp body, attempting to stand her on her feet before letting her fall to the floor – telling the camera: ‘She’s gone.’
Bevan did not ask his mother to phone for an ambulance for Lola until almost 7.30am, having only woken James up at about 7.20am.
More than 100 scratches and bruises were recorded on Lola’s body, and she also had extensive damage to both her eyes, with the injuries to her brain comparable with those found in car crash victims.
One doctor said Lola was the most battered and bruised child she had examined in her entire career.
James (pictured) and Bevan were both found guilty after a jury took over ten hours to decide their verdict at Swansea Crown Court
Tributes and toys left outside of the house where Lola James was living in Haverfordwest, Wales, after her death in 2020
The morning of July 17, Bevan sent his mother a disturbing 22-second film of him trying to prop up a clearly unconscious and severely injured Lola. When she fell to the floor with a thud, he said: ‘She’s gone. She’s gone’
James (pictured) and Bevan were both found guilty after a jury took over ten hours to decide their verdict at Swansea Crown Court
Judge Justice Griffiths said he was sure Bevan was responsible for multiple assaults on Lola before her tragic murder.
He said: ‘I am satisfied the attack was an exercise of power over the only person he could feel superior to – a helpless child.
‘The assault was sustained, deliberate and very violent and involved the use of weapons.
‘By the time of the murder, James knew Bevan was not to be trusted with Lola. He says the day before Lola was beaten into a coma James had asked Bevan for his date of birth so she could do a Clare’s Law check but he refused.
‘In the early hours of the following day Bevan assaulted Lola, hitting her to the side of the head with such force that she suffered bleeding on the brain and bleeding in the ear, and shook her back and forth with such force she suffered brain damage.’
James told the court how she heard ‘a bang and a scream’ coming from Lola’s bedroom just after midnight and ran there to find her daughter sitting on Bevan’s lap, with no visible injuries.
She described how Bevan reassured her, saying ‘I’ve got this’, before she went back to bed.
Hours later, she was woken by Bevan saying that Lola had fallen down the stairs – showing her a piece of the little girl’s tongue on his finger.
James dialed 999 in tears after finding her daughter unresponsive on the sofa, telling operators that Lola’s face appeared ‘swollen’ and she was ‘really scared’.
In hospital, Bevan became aggressive with hospital doctors who questioned him over Lola’s injuries while she was in a life-threatening condition.
Speaking following the sentencing, Senior Crown Prosecutor John Griffiths from the CPS, said: ‘Lola was a happy and beautiful little girl that was bursting with energy. Her life had barely started when these defendants snatched it away from her.
‘Kyle Bevan described himself as Lola’s ‘step-father’ but his actions were anything but paternal.
‘He had inflicted injuries on Lola in the past, but this time his aggression led to him murdering a defenceless child in his care.
‘Lola should have been safe in her own home and surrounded by people that she could trust. But instead, her mother Sinead James allowed a violent and destructive man into their lives and failed in her duty to protect Lola from harm. James was well aware that Bevan was a danger, but she willingly chose to keep him in her life.’
He added: ‘Although nothing can bring Lola back, I hope these convictions and the sentences handed out by the Court today, go some way in comforting those who loved Lola. Our thoughts remain with them at this time.
‘The CPS is absolutely committed to bringing violent offenders to justice and will leave no stone unturned in securing justice.’
Heartbreaking rollcall of children who became victims of lockdown
The Covid-19 lockdown has produced a heartbreaking rollcall of children who became victims of tragic deaths at the hands of those who are meant to take care of them.
Two-year-old Lola James was tragically killed by her evil stepfather, suffering 101 injuries including brain damage similar to what is sustained in high-speed car-crashes.
The little girl was victim to a ‘frenized and extremely violent attack’ on July 17, 2020 at her home in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, by her mother Sinead James’ new partner Kyle Bevan, 31. She died four days later.
Young Logan Mwangi, five, was killed by his mother, stepfather and stepbrother on July 31, 2020 after suffering ‘catastrophic’ internal injuries. His body was found in the River Ogmore near his home in Sarn, Bridgend County.
Star Hobson was only 16 months old when she was killed at her home in Keighley, West Yorkshire on September 22, 2020 by her mother Frankie Smith’s girlfriend Savannah Brockhill, after suffering months of abuse in her home during the Covid lockdown.
A mother and her ‘monster’ boyfriend have been found guilty over the death of two-year-old Lola James (pictured) who was fatally attacked at her home in Wales
NSPCC Cymru’s assistant director Tracey Holdsworth said a review into Lola’s death must establish whether more could have been done by agencies to prevent her death and called for the Welsh Government to make child protection a national priority.
Ms Holdsworth said: ‘This is another tragic case where a young child has died at the hands of those who she depended on.
‘Lola deserved a happy and healthy future, but that was cruelly taken away by the horrendous actions of Kyle Bevan and the failure of her mother, Sinead James, to intervene.
‘The Welsh Government has rightly committed to transforming children’s social care and it’s crucial this leads to systemic changes that ensure children like Lola are better protected.’
Lola James, two – murdered July 17, 2020
Lola James, two
Two-year-old Lola James was tragically killed by her evil stepfather, suffering 101 injuries including brain damage similar to what is sustained in high-speed car-crashes.
Sinead James, 30, moved her partner Kyle Bevan, 31, into the house she shared with little Lola James in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, a day after meeting him on Facebook in February 2020.
Swansea Crown Court heard Bevan, who had a ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ temper, carried out a ‘frenzied and extremely violent attack’ on the young girl just four months later, causing 101 bruises and scratches and a catastrophic injury to the brain.
Lola’s mother was a victim of domestic abuse and had twice been educated on how to spot signs of an abuser, but chose to prioritise her relationship with Bevan over the safety of her child, the jury was told – before they convicted her of allowing Lola’s death.
James was told by the local authority not to invite adults into the family home if she did not know them well or if they were alcohol or drug abusers, but she ignored their advice.
Kaylea Titford, 16 – found dead October 10, 2020
Also amongst the victims of lockdown is Kaylea Titford.
Kaylea Titford, 16
The 16-year-old, who suffered from spina bifida, was found dead at her home in Newtown, Powys, on October 10, 2020 after her parents allowed her to become morbidly obese during lockdown.
Her mother, Sarah Lloyd-Jones, 39, admitted manslaughter by gross negligence last year, while her father, Alun Titford, denied the charges and was found guilty after a trial last month.
The teenager weighed 22st 13lb with a BMI of 70 at the time of her death, and her body was discovered inside her bedroom in conditions described as ‘unfit for any animal’.
A jury of eight men and four women convicted Titford after being shown pictures during the trial at Mold Crown Court in North Wales of the ‘squalor and degradation’ Kaylea had been forced to endure.
Alijah Thomas, five – murdered September 14, 2021
Five-year-old Alijah Thomas begged her mother Martina Madarova, 41, not to kill her as she strangled her to death at their home in Ealing, west London, on September 14, 2021.
Alijah Thomas, five
Madarova had put on cartoons for her daughter Alijah Thomas before carrying out the act as the child said: ‘Mummy, don’t kill me.’ She proceeded to strangle Aljah, before ‘tucking her in with a blanket’.
The 41-year-old had been suffering with her mental health and turned to alcohol during the Covid lockdown, and had been in a ‘dark place’ the night before her daughter’s tragic death.
She was given a five-year jail sentence after a judge ruled that she had ‘low responsibility’ over Alijah’s death.
A court heard that in the months leading up to the incident, family members and friends became concerned for Madarova’s wellbeing as she appeared ‘increasingly stressed’.
She was concerned for her income, after her hours as a carer had been reduced, and had become anxious after missing the deadline to enrol Alijah at school.
On the morning of September 14, Alijah’s father had left early for work and was notified a few hours later from a phone call from Madarova that their daughter was dead.
Kyrell Matthews, two – murdered October 20, 2019
Kyrell Matthews, two
Kyrell Matthews, aged two, was left with 41 rib fractures and internal injuries by the time of his death after weeks of cruelty at the hands of his mother Phylesia Shirley and her boyfriend Kemar Brown.
Brown was convicted of murder while Shirley was acquitted of murder but found guilty of the alternative charge of manslaughter.
They appeared alongside each other in the dock as Brown was sentenced to at least 25 years in prison while Shirley was jailed for 13 years.
The toddler, who was non-verbal, could be heard crying and screaming on distressing audio files taken from Shirley’s phone and played to jurors during the trial.
Brown and Shirley are understood to have been visited by social services at least once.
Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, six, murdered June 17, 2020
Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, six
Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, aged six, was murdered by his cruel stepmother Emma Tustin in June.
She was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 29 years and the boy’s father Thomas Hughes was jailed for 21 years for manslaughter.
The boy had been seen by social workers just two months before his death, but they concluded there were no safeguarding concerns.
In October 2019, Aileen Carabine, a special educational coordinator at Arthur’s school, said Arthur ‘deteriorated’ that month.
Hughes, 29, was jailed for life with a minimum of 21 years after being found guilty of manslaughter – but cleared of murder – for encouraging the killing, including by sending a text message to Tustin 18 hours before the fatal assault telling her ‘just end him’.
Logan Mwangi, five – murdered July 31, 2020
Logan Mwangi, five
Five-year-old Logan Mwangi was murdered by his mother, step-father and teenage step-brother on July 31, 2021.
His body, which suffered 56 ‘catastrophic’ injuries consistent with a ‘brutal and sustained assault’ was found in the River Ogmore near his home in Sarn, Bridgend county.
John Cole, 40, Angharad Williamson, 31, and 14-year-old Craig Mulligan were all convicted of murder in April 2022.
Cole will serve a minimum of 29 years, Williamson at least 28 years, while teenage Mulligan will serve at least 15 years.
Social services repeatedly missed signs of abuse and opportunities to protect Logan, with injuries dating back to August 2020.
Inspectors have blasted the council which failed to protect murdered five-year-old Logan Mwangi, with the watchdog insisting ‘serious concerns’ remain about its children’s services a full year after his death.
Care Inspectorate Wales noted there have been improvements at Bridgend County Borough Council in the last 12 months, but said there was still a need for ‘further urgent action’.
Star Hobson, 16 months – murdered September 22, 2020
Star Hobson, 16 months
Star Hobson was just 16 months old when she was murdered by her mother’s girlfriend Savannah Brockill in September 2020.
In the lead-up to her death, she had suffered months of abuse in her home in Keighley, West Yorkshire, during the coronavirus lockdown in 2020.
Former Children’s Commissioner for England Anne Longfield, the chairwoman of the Commission on Young Lives, warned after Star’s murder that the Covid lockdown ‘brought its own opportunities for those who harm, groom and abuse children.’
Brockill is now serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 25 years at HMP Styal in Cheshire, after being convicted in December 2021.
Star’s mother, Frankie Smith, was convicted of causing or allowing the toddler’s death and was initially sentenced to eight years behind bars.
This was increased to 12 years after a judicial review.
Social services missed five opportunities to stop Star’s killers, with her great-grandfather Dave Fawcett saying after their convictions: ‘It’s disgusting because there were five referrals. Not one of them did anything. It’s just beyond belief, really.
Source : https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12010713/Stepfather-murdered-little-Lola-James-two-jailed-life-court-hearing-streamed-live.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ito=1490&ns_campaign=1490&rand=1270
