The mother and stepfather of five-year-old Logan Mwangi, whose battered body was dumped in a river, will find out how long they will spend in prison for his murder.
John Cole, 40, Angharad Williamson, 31, and a 14-year-old boy, who cannot be named due to his age, will be sentenced Thursday in Cardiff Crown Court after being convicted of the murder of Logan.
Both Williamson and the youngster were convicted of further charges of perverting the course of justice – an offense Cole admitted before the trial.
Ms Justice Jefford will hand out life sentences but must determine the minimum amount of custody each defendant must serve before they can apply for parole.
Logan, a formerly “smiling, happy little boy”, was discovered on the morning of 31 July 2021 in the River Ogmore in Pandy Park, Bridgend, South Wales.
Police found him partially underwater, wearing dinosaur pajama bottoms and a Spider-Man top, just 250 yards from his home.
During the trial, Cardiff Crown Court heard that the youngster suffered 56 external cuts and bruises, and “catastrophic” internal injuries, which were compared to a high-speed traffic accident.
Experts said the injuries could only have been caused by a “brutal and sustained attack” inflicted on Logan in the hours or days leading up to his death. They also said the injuries were “consistent with child abuse”.
In the months and weeks leading up to his death, Logan had been “dehumanized” by his family, prosecutors said.
Logan’s stuttering is said to have worsened, especially around Cole. He moistened himself more often and began to harm himself.
Friends of the couple said Cole told them he didn’t like Logan, and others said his attitude changed after he became obsessed with the idea Williamson was cheating on Logan’s father Ben Mwangi.
After Williamson gave birth to Cole’s own child, Cole was reluctant to show Logan the baby and later claimed that the boy had tried to smother the child.
Doctors referred police after Logan suffered a broken arm in August 2020.
By March, due to concerns about Cole, Logan and his younger brother had been assigned their own social worker.
In June, a month before Logan died, the family was removed from the child protection register, meaning there was no longer any risk of significant harm.
A foster home where the boy was staying claimed to have heard him say he wanted to kill Logan.
A counselor also heard the youth sing, “I love kids, I love kids, I like hitting kids on the head, it’s orgasmic.”
Weeks before he died, Logan suffered a collarbone fracture, but medical attention was never sought for him.
On July 20, Logan tested positive for Covid-19 and was locked in his bedroom with a baby gate that prevented him from leaving.
Caroline Rees QC, prosecutor, said: “He was held like a prisoner in his small bedroom in the flat you saw, a room Williamson compared to a dungeon.”