Foster family of boy accused of murdering five-year-old tell a court they were “terrified” of him.
A teenager accused of murdering a five-year-old boy has been described as “a monster” and spoke of killing people, a court has heard.
The body of Logan Mwangi was found in the River Ogmore in Sarn, Bridgend, last July with 56 injuries.
The court heard the boy said he wanted to kill Logan shortly before his death.
The 14-year-old boy, Logan’s mother Angharad Williamson, 30, and his step-father John Cole, 40, are on trial at Cardiff Crown Court and deny murder.
In statements read to the court, the former foster family of the accused said he made their lives “hell” during a period that he lived with them, and described him as a “monster”.
He also told the family he would kill them, explaining he would do so if the plot of the horror film The Purge – in which all crime, including murder, becomes decriminalised in a 12-hour period- became real.
The boy’s foster father said he had become “terrified” of the boy who had told him he wanted to “punch his lights out”.
The family also told of the boy’s behaviour towards their family dog, who he insisted on pulling up by his hind legs and keep him dangling even though he was aware the dog had an injured pelvis.
There was also reference to an occasion when he had been witnessed spraying a can of deodorant into the dog’s eyes.
The jury heard how on more than one occasion the teenager, who was 13 at the time, had said he wanted to kill Logan.
As details of the teen’s behaviour was read to the court, Logan’s mother Angharad Williamson began crying loudly from the dock.
The foster family said they had continuously raised concerns about the accused’s behaviour and threats with a social worker, Debbie Williams, but these were dismissed as “nonsense”.
“She just brushed it off as if it was nothing,” the foster mother said in her statement.
In evidence, Ms Williams denied she was ever told about these concerns.
She told the court how she had visited the accused at a number of addresses – at first virtually, and then in person as Covid restrictions eased.
‘We didn’t hurt him’
Ms Williams described how the teenager would sometimes “poke, pinch or kick her” during meetings but said he never hurt her.
She also said the teenager used to swear at her regularly, but said she felt it was mainly banter.
She said she last saw the teenager on 30 July and the teenager was “his usual cheeky self, swearing at me.”
Ms Williams was also asked about a conversation she had with the teenager around a month after Logan had died.
She told the court, she’d said to the teenager: “I don’t think you realise the seriousness of the situation you are in.”
The accused replied: “I do know that… we didn’t hurt him.”
A neighbour of Mr Cole in Maesglas, Sarn, Sheryl Lewis, also gave evidence.
She said she heard Mr Cole crying outside on the phone at about 21:20 BST on 31 July, saying: “Help me, help me. What should I do? What should I do?”
All three defendants deny murder and are also accused of perverting the course of justice, including moving Logan’s body to the river near Pandy Park, removing his clothing, washing blood-stained bed linen, and making a false missing person report to police.
Ms Williamson and the youth pleaded not guilty to perverting the course of justice, while Mr Cole admitted the charge.
The trial continues.
- 28 February
- 23 February
