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Murder of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes

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Arthur Labinjo-Hughes
Born(2014-01-04)4 January 2014[1]
Died17 June 2020(2020-06-17) (aged 6)
Birmingham Children's Hospital, England
Cause of deathBrain injury due to blunt trauma
Known forAbuse and murder victim
Parents
  • Olivia Labinjo-Halcrow (mother)
  • Thomas Hughes (father)
  • Emma Tustin (father's partner)

Arthur Labinjo-Hughes (4 January 2014 – 17 June 2020) was a six-year-old child living in the West Midlands, England who was abused and subsequently killed by his parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Arthur was mistreated over the course of several months by his father, Thomas Hughes, and his father's partner, Emma Tustin. This culminated on 17 June 2020 with Tustin[a] killing Arthur[b] via blunt force trauma to his head. Tustin and Thomas Hughes[c] were convicted on murder and manslaughter charges, respectively, in December 2021.

After Arthur's parents separated in his infancy, he was initially cared for by his mother Olivia Labinjo-Halcrow. When Labinjo-Halcrow[d] killed her partner in February 2019, responsibility for Arthur was transferred to his father. Thomas Hughes decided to take his son to live with his new partner Emma Tustin and her children during COVID-19 related restrictions. Thomas Hughes and Tustin's behaviour towards Arthur became increasingly neglectful, with Arthur forced to spend extended periods isolated from the rest of the household. By the time of his death, Arthur was malnourished, suffering from salt poisoning, and covered with over 130 bruises. The case received significant attention in the local area and across the United Kingdom, provoking discussion about the protection of children at risk of abuse and criticism against Child Protective Services for their lack of intervention.

Background

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Arthur Labinjo-Hughes was the son of Olivia Labinjo-Halcrow and Thomas Hughes.[2][3] The two separated shortly before his second birthday. Both Arthur's parents shared custody of him while he lived with his mother. In February 2019, Labinjo-Halcrow stabbed her new partner, Gary Cunningham, to death after a period of mutual domestic violence.[4][5][2][3] This led to Thomas Hughes becoming Arthur's sole carer. Arthur changed schools to Dickens Heath Community Primary School[6][7] and moved into an annex behind his paternal grandparents' home, with his father. According to his grandmother, Arthur was initially 'nervous' but quickly became a 'happy, well-rounded child'.[4][8]

In August 2019, Thomas Hughes met Emma Tustin on the dating website Plenty of Fish. Thomas Hughes introduced his son to Tustin early on in the relationship and she later stated that she and Arthur were 'friends straight away'. As Arthur returned to school after the summer holidays, a teaching assistant stated that she had 'no concerns' about his wellbeing. However, the child's uncle noted that Thomas Hughes seemed to be becoming stricter with the boy, and Arthur appeared to be more fearful of getting into trouble. An official at Arthur's school noted that the child became less happy as autumn progressed. She organised a meeting with Arthur's father and grandmother about her concerns that the boy was developing an obsession with topics such as guns, death and the news, along with fears about being separated from or killed by his father. There was also an incident during a School Nativity play where Arthur became upset when a baby doll was removed from its crib.[8]

In early 2020, Thomas Hughes took his son to multiple medical appointments but the boy was not diagnosed with any mental health problems.[8] Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic led to the closure of all schools in the UK and a national lockdown by the end of March 2020.[9][10] At the beginning of the lockdown, Arthur and his father were staying in Tustin's home.[3] Though Thomas Hughes' mother asked that he and Arthur come to her house, he refused,[8] instead deciding to move in with Tustin at her home in Solihull for the duration of the lockdown.[11]

Abuse

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In April 2020, Thomas Hughes returned home with his son for a few days due to a disagreement with Tustin. While he was at his grandparents' house, Arthur said that he had been pinned against the wall by Tustin, called a "horrible ugly brat", and his grandmother found several bruises on his back. Thomas Hughes soon returned to his partner's house and refused the grandmother's request to leave the boy at her house for longer, prompting her to report him to social services. The next day, a social worker went to visit Hughes and Tustin's household. She was told that Arthur's injuries had been sustained in a fight with Tustin's son. The social worker concluded that Arthur was 'very happy and very safe' and that there were no safeguarding issues in the household. Thomas Hughes said that Tustin coached the boys to lie about the incident and had warned him they would lose custody of their children if he did not cooperate as well. The incident was later reported to the police again by Arthur's uncle with no effect.[8]

In May 2020, Arthur was frequently made to stand in the hallway for long periods of time as a punishment for his alleged misbehaviour. Tustin reported these incidents to Thomas via text messages and audio clips of him crying. In these clips, the child could be heard crying for his grandmother and uncle, and at one point said "nobody loves me". The couple used insults such as "Satan", "Hitler", "Devilchild", "weasel" and various swear words to refer to the boy. Thomas Hughes would frequently threaten violence against his son. Tustin said at one point to Thomas that "I want you but I don't want him", referring to Arthur. By the end of the month, Arthur was moved out of Tustin's son and daughter's bedroom and made to sleep on the living room floor. He was made to sleep there even when the other children slept elsewhere.[8]

When Arthur's school reopened on 8 June he was not in attendance; Thomas Hughes was contacted by the school about the matter but provided various excuses for the child's absence. The couple installed a camera at home to monitor Arthur during his isolation. Arthur spent 35 hours of the three-day period between 12 and 14 June in the hallway having been forced to go there by his father and Tustin. He was slapped by Tustin for entering the living room. The camera also recorded the couple and Tustin's children enjoying food and leisure activities which Arthur was not allowed to participate in. On 15 June, Tustin took Arthur with her to spend most of the day at her hairdresser's house. Throughout the six hours Tustin was there, she forced the boy to stand by the door, and frequently shouted and swore at him. The child collapsed to the floor as they left the hairdresser's but was not helped by either Tustin or Thomas when he arrived. Later that evening, Thomas belted Arthur's legs and later told Tustin to "Just end him".[8]

Day of the murder

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On the morning of 16 June, Arthur appeared on CCTV footage to be weak, in visible pain and struggling to lift his bedclothes. Thomas Hughes, Tustin and Arthur went back to the hairdresser's house where Arthur was constantly shouted at by the former two. The child was secretly given a drink of water by the hairdresser's partner, who later described him as "gaunt", "malnourished" and "a poor little kid who was broken". After getting home, Tustin went upstairs at about 2:00 p.m. Later at trial, the prosecution argued that she gave Arthur an overdose of salt in the bathroom at around this time though Tustin denied this. Additionally, Tustin photographed Arthur crying in the hallway at 2:15 p.m.[8]

Tustin is believed to have carried out the fatal assault at 2:29 p.m when she went into the hallway, where Arthur was located.[8] She shook Arthur and hit his head against a hard surface multiple times.[5] The assault is believed to have lasted one minute.[8] Twelve minutes later, after phoning Thomas Hughes, Tustin called 999 and told medics that he "fell and banged his head and while on the floor banged his head another five times".[12] Tustin then took a photo of the dying boy, which she sent to Hughes.[11] Paramedics from West Midlands Ambulance Service and officers from West Midlands Police arrived on scene shortly after the emergency call was made.[13] Arthur was left with an unsurvivable brain injury.[11] Arthur was taken to Birmingham Children's Hospital; however, doctors were unable to save him and he died later that night. He was six years old.[8] At the time of his death, a medical review found that he was covered in 130 bruises, that he had been poisoned with salt, and that the extent of his injuries were compared to torture.[3]

Aftermath

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The case made a significant impact on the local community and particularly football fans.[14] Arthur's favourite team, Birmingham City F.C, named a family area at the St Andrew's stadium after him and supporters sang his name on a march through Birmingham prior to a match.[15] More broadly the child was honoured at various football matches on 4 December 2021.[16] Beginning in 2022, Birmingham City and Solihull Moors F.C. announced an annual pre-season game named "The Arthur Cup", with a portion of proceeds from the match going to the NSPCC. The head of Solihull council reported that social workers had been forced to leave their homes due to abuse and threats related to the case.[17] The incident provoked discussion of the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on the welfare of vulnerable children. Anne Longfield, the former children's commissioner for England, said:[18]

"...a lot of the services went on to the screens for children, and this child in particular, Arthur, wasn’t in school. And it's much easier for families who want to evade view to do that when they haven’t got someone in the room. So there’s a big lesson there, instantly about if there is a crisis, there are children who are going to slip from view and we have to make sure they have the protection, which does need face to face contact."

Statistics for England suggested that there had been a 20% decrease in referrals to local authorities' children's departments but a 20% increase in reported cases of child harm and a 19% increase in child deaths.[19] The trial related to the case of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes took place at a similar time to the one related to the murder of Star Hobson, another young child who was abused and killed by carers. Several parallels were noted between the cases such as both children being killed by their parent's new partner, having extended family who tried to help them, and being of known concern to the authorities. Additionally, both were murdered during the COVID-19 pandemic which was argued to have made it easier for their worsening condition to be hidden from others.[20][21]

In July 2021, Olivia Labinjo-Halcrow was convicted of the manslaughter of her partner, and was sentenced to 11 years in prison.[22]

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Coventry Combined Court Centre, where Tustin and Hughes were sentenced.

Due to the nature of Arthur's injuries and the accounts given by Tustin and Thomas Hughes, both were arrested on the evening of 16 June initially on suspicion of assault and then murder.[23][13] Police officers examined hundreds of videos, audio files and photos found on Tustin's and Hughes' mobile phones, and analysed thousands of messages they sent each other. They uncovered significant evidence of abuse inflicted on Arthur by both.[13]

Emma Tustin was convicted of murdering Arthur Labinjo-Hughes at Coventry Crown Court in December 2021, and was given a life sentence with a minimum of 29 years.[11] She is being held at HMP Peterborough.[24] Thomas Hughes was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 21 years.[25] He is being held at HMP Wakefield. The Attorney General's office said on 4 December that the sentences would be reviewed to "determine whether they were too low" under the unduly lenient sentence scheme.[26][27][28] Mr Justice Wall, the presiding judge, described the case in his sentencing remarks as among the most "distressing and disturbing" cases that he has dealt with.[29] On 29 July 2022, Thomas Hughes' sentence was increased to 24 years on appeal as the judge found his original sentence to be too lenient.[30]

A local review was launched into the incident soon after the boy's death. Shortly after the conviction, the government announced that there would be a national inquiry into the case.[31][32] The review found that child protection services had been involved in Arthur's life on various occasions dating back to 2018 and repeatedly not intervened to help him.[33]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Emma Tustin is referred to using her surname throughout this article.
  2. ^ Arthur Labinjo-Hughes is referred to using his first name throughout this article due to his age.
  3. ^ Thomas Hughes is referred to using his full-name throughout this article to make clear the distinction from his son.
  4. ^ Olivia Labinjo-Halcrow is referred to using her surname throughout this article.

References

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  1. ^ "Online directories- LABINJO-HUGHES, Arthur (Adjourned)". Birmingham City Council. Archived from the original on 9 December 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: Images show tragic little boy smiling with his mother before she lost joint custody after killing partner". Sky News. 4 December 2021. Archived from the original on 3 December 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d Kingsley, Thomas (4 December 2021). "What happened to Arthur Labinjo-Hughes?". Independent. Archived from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  4. ^ a b Rhys, Steffan; Jackson, Carl (4 December 2021). "The little boy who stood no chance with two killer parents and a hateful stepmum". WalesOnline. Archived from the original on 16 January 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  5. ^ a b Collins, Riyah (2 December 2021). "Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: A life cut short by cruelty". BBC News. Archived from the original on 8 December 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  6. ^ "Social worker said 'play' caused boy's bruises weeks before his death, jury told". Lancashire Telegraph. 26 October 2021. Archived from the original on 11 June 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  7. ^ "Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: What do we know about his life and death?". BBC News. 6 December 2021. Archived from the original on 27 May 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Jackson, Carl (2 December 2021). "How lockdown was beginning of the end for tragic Arthur - timeline". BirminghamLive. Archived from the original on 3 December 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  9. ^ "Coronavirus: UK schools, colleges and nurseries to close from Friday". BBC News. 18 March 2020. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  10. ^ "Coronavirus: Strict new curbs on life in UK announced by PM". BBC News. 24 March 2020. Archived from the original on 31 March 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  11. ^ a b c d "UK launches major review into murder of six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes". The Irish Times. 6 December 2021. Archived from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  12. ^ "Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: Father and girlfriend found guilty over death of six-year-old boy". Sky News. Archived from the original on 3 December 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  13. ^ a b c "Stepmother and father convicted of killing Arthur Labinjo-Hughes". West Midlands Police. 3 December 2021. Archived from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  14. ^ "Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: Candlelit vigil for murdered boy". BBC News. 15 December 2021. Archived from the original on 27 May 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  15. ^ "Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: Football club's tribute to young fan". BBC News. 11 December 2021. Archived from the original on 27 May 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  16. ^ "Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: Football pays tribute to murdered Birmingham City fan after killers jailed". Sky News. Archived from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  17. ^ Crew, Jemma (26 May 2022). "Social workers forced out of homes due to abuse after Arthur Labinjo-Hughes case". The Belfast Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 5 June 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  18. ^ Bland, Archie (3 December 2021). "Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: vulnerable children 'slipped from view' in pandemic". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  19. ^ Butler, Patrick (3 December 2021). "How much did lockdown help Arthur Labinjo-Hughes' killers escape notice?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  20. ^ Farrell, Jason (14 December 2021). "The chilling parallels between the murders of Star Hobson and Arthur Labinjo-Hughes". Sky News. Archived from the original on 2 June 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  21. ^ Samuelson, Kate (15 December 2021). "Star Hobson and Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: why were chances to intervene missed?". The Week UK. Archived from the original on 9 January 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  22. ^ "Olivia Labinjo-Halcrow jailed for 11 years for stabbing partner to death". BBC News. 2 July 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  23. ^ Jackson, Carl; Perrin, Ben (8 November 2021). "'You better get his dad here' - stepmum's response on Arthur murder arrest". BirminghamLive. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  24. ^ Preston, Faye (4 December 2021). "Which jail is Emma Tustin in? Furious inmates 'toss salt at killer stepmum' who tortured Arthur Labinjo-Hughes". Yorkshire Live. Archived from the original on 6 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  25. ^ Keane, Tammy Hughes, Daniel (3 December 2021). "'Wicked' stepmum jailed for 29 years for murdering Arthur Labinjo-Hughes". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  26. ^ "Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: Father and stepmother's prison sentences to be reviewed". ITV News. 5 December 2021. Archived from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  27. ^ Evans, Martin (2 December 2021). "Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: 'A bruise for every day of lockdown' left on body of boy killed by father and stepmother". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  28. ^ Evans, Martin (3 December 2021). "Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: Emma Tustin sentenced to life and Thomas Hughes 21 years for torturing and killing six-year-old". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  29. ^ Wall, Mark (3 December 2021). High Court Judgement: Regina - v – Emma Tustin & THomas Hughes Sentencing Remarks (PDF) (Report). Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  30. ^ "Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: Killer father has sentence increased". BBC News. 29 July 2022.
  31. ^ Murray, Jessica (5 December 2021). "Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: review launched into six-year-old's murder". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  32. ^ Meierhans, Jennifer (5 December 2021). "Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: National inquiry into boy's death". BBC News. Archived from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  33. ^ "Timeline of the key missed opportunities leading up to Arthur's death revealed". ITV News. 26 May 2022. Archived from the original on 9 June 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
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