Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: father and partner found guilty of killing son, six

A father and stepmother killed their six-year-old boy in a “campaign of appalling cruelty” two months after social workers found no evidence of safeguarding concerns.

An investigation has been launched into the authorities’ actions after Arthur Labinjo-Hughes was deprived of food, force-fed salt, and assaulted in abuse that was filmed and photographed by his stepmother and father.

Emma Tustin, 32, was convicted of Arthur’s murder and 29-year-old Thomas Hughes was found guilty of his manslaughter at Coventry crown court on Thursday. His son had suffered an “unsurvivable brain injury” when he was attacked by his stepmother on 16 June 2020, the court heard.

Prosecutors described the pair as “utterly ruthless, unthinking and pitiless” during the trial.

Speaking after the verdicts, Arthur’s maternal grandmother, Madeleine Halcrow, described the couple’s behaviour, which included Tustin’s poisoning of Arthur by force-feeding him salt-laced meals, as “unfathomable”. She said: “I think they are cold, calculating, systematic torturers of a defenceless little boy. They’re wicked, evil. There’s no word for them, especially your own child.”

Arthur had been subjected to a “campaign of appalling cruelty” by Tustin and Hughes and was barely able to stand by the time his stepmother murdered him, prosecutors said.

Audio and video recordings from inside their home showed to the jurors revealed Arthur was “scarcely able to articulate his words” and showed him in clear distress; kicking and punching himself, as well as groaning in pain and asking to be taken to see a doctor. Jonas Hankin QC told the jury the recordings showed Tustin had relished abusing her stepson.

An independent review of social workers’ actions has been launched after the court heard they had found no safeguarding concerns shortly before the murder.

Solihull council staff visited Arthur at Tustin’s home on 17 April 2020 after his paternal grandmother, secondary school teacher Joanne Hughes, called the emergency social services team to report bruises on his back.

Social workers found a “faint” yellow bruise, which Tustin and Hughes passed off as the result of play-fighting with another boy. They ultimately agreed with the couple’s claim that theirs was a “happy household” with no cause for concern.

A week later, Arthur’s grandmother sent photographs of deep purple-coloured bruises that had been taken the day before social workers visited.

Solihull’s Local Child Safeguarding Partnership said it was now carrying out an independent review into the “terrible tragedy” of Arthur’s death, including the contact with social services.

Although further contact was made with Hughes by social workers after the photos were received, there was no more engagement with the family by the authorities. Two separate referrals had been made at the same time by Arthur’s paternal grandmother; one to West Midlands police, and one to social services, with the latter relating to “unexplained” bruising to Arthur’s back.

The court heard that Tustin carried out the fatal assault while in sole care of Arthur, taking a photograph of the boy on her mobile phone as he lay dying in the hallway, then sending the image to Hughes.

She called 999 12 minutes later – after having called Hughes – then lied to the medics, claiming Arthur “fell and banged his head and while on the floor banged his head another five times”.

Tustin later claimed the boy must have thrown himself down the stairs, despite evidence showing he was barely strong enough to pick up his own bedding.

Hughes was convicted of encouraging the killing, including by sending a text message to Tustin 18 hours before the assault, telling her “just end him”. The court heard that, on one occasion, Arthur told his father: “I am in danger with you, Dad.”

Jurors also convicted Tustin of two counts of child cruelty, including salt poisoning and withholding food and drink. She had already admitted two other cruelty counts: wilfully assaulting Arthur on three occasions and isolating him, including by forcing him to stand in the hallway for up to 14 hours a day as part of a draconian punishment regime.

Hughes, who had denied any wrongdoing, was also convicted of the cruelty offences that Tustin had admitted but was cleared of withholding food and drink and of poisoning his son.

The jurors took six hours and 15 minutes to deliver their verdicts, and afterwards held a minute’s silence in Arthur’s memory.

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