Logan Mwangi's mum and stepdad given life sentences for his murder
His mum, stepdad and 14-year-old boy were all jailed for murdering the five-year-old
Last updated 30th Jun 2022
The mother and stepfather of five-year-old Logan Mwangi whose battered body was found dumped in a river in South Wales have both been jailed for life for his murder.
John Cole, 40, was told he would spend at least 29 years behind bars while Angharad Williamson, 31, would serve a minimum of 28 years' imprisonment.
A 14-year-old boy, who cannot be named because of his age, was detained for a minimum of 15 years after also being found guilty of Logan's murder.
The trio were convicted of killing the little boy in Sarn, Bridgend, South Wales, in April, following a trial at Cardiff Crown Court.
Both Williamson and the youth were convicted of a further charge of perverting the course of justice - an offence Cole had admitted before trial.
Logan Mwangi's death
Logan, a previously "smiling, cheerful little boy", was discovered in the River Ogmore in Pandy Park on the morning of July 31 2021.
Police found him partially submerged, wearing dinosaur pyjama bottoms and a Spider-Man top just 250 metres from his home.
The youngster had suffered 56 external cuts and bruises, and "catastrophic" internal injuries, which were likened to a high-speed road accident.
Experts said the injuries could have only been caused by a "brutal and sustained assault" inflicted on Logan in the hours, or days, prior 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 "dehumanised" by his family, prosecutors said.
Logan's stammer is said to have worsened, becoming particularly bad around Cole. He wet himself more frequently and began self-harming.
Friends of the couple said Cole told them he did not like Logan, and others said his attitude changed after becoming obsessed with the idea that Williamson had cheated with Logan's father Ben Mwangi.
After Williamson gave birth to his own child, Cole was reluctant to let Logan see the baby and later claimed the boy had tried to smother the infant.
Family was known to Social Services
Medics made a safeguarding referral to the police after Logan suffered a broken arm in August 2020.
By March, due to concerns over Cole's behaviour, Logan and his younger sibling had been assigned their own social worker.
In June, a month before Logan died, the family were removed from the child protection register - meaning it was believed there was no longer a risk of significant harm.
"I love to punch kids in the head"
A foster family whom the unnamed 14-year-old youth stayed with claimed to have heard him say he wanted to kill Logan.
A support worker also heard the youth singing: "I love kids, I f** love kids, I love to punch kids in the head, it's orgasmic."
Killed in his own home
Weeks before he died, Logan suffered a broken collarbone but he never got medical treatment.
On July 20, Logan tested positive for Covid-19 and he was shut in his bedroom with a baby gate barring him from leaving.
Caroline Rees QC, prosecuting, said: "He had been kept like a prisoner in his small bedroom in the flat you saw, a room likened by Williamson as a dungeon."
Passing sentence, Mrs Justice Jefford said: "You are responsible for Logan's death and all the anguish that has followed from it.
"Because he was killed in his own home, it is not possible to be sure what has happened to him.
"Shortly before his death, at which time he was three feet five inches and weighed only three stone one pound, he was subjected to a brutal attack."
The judge described the injuries Logan had suffered and added: "Also the sort of injuries seen in abused children.
"Inflicting these injuries on a small, defenceless five-year-old is nothing short of horrific."
Describing how Logan was shut in his bedroom for 10 days after contracting coronavirus, Mrs Justice Jefford said it was "extreme" and a culmination of treatment that had gradually "dehumanised him in the eyes of his parents".
Both Cole and Williamson told police that Logan had been badly behaved in the day before he was discovered, "sitting on the floor and refusing to get up".
"In all probability Logan was already dying because much of what you describe is consistent with the presentation of the injuries he had already received," the judge said.
Rejecting Williamson's version of events that Cole and the youth attacked Logan on the Thursday and she had run out of the house in an attempt to get help, Mrs Justice Jefford added: "That was made up after the event to protect yourself and shift the blame.
"You had an opportunity to protect your son from further injury and you did nothing. "
"Whatever time the ferocious assault on Logan happened, he was for the most part of Friday injured or dying.
"Had any of you sought medical assistance he would have had an 80% chance of survival despite the severity of his injuries.
"There was nothing that provoked the attack upon him. None of you saw Logan as a child to be cared for.
"I am also sure in this small flat that this fatal assault could not have taken place without your full knowledge or collusion."
Logan Mwangi Murder trial: Enhanced CCTV footage of the night Logan went missing
Talking about the cover-up, the Mrs Justice Jefford said what they did was "careful and calculated and not the product of panic".
"It is impossible to imagine the terror a five-year-old would feel suffering those horrific injuries inflicted upon him by those regarded as his family with the compliance of his mother," she said.
The concealment of Logan's body in the river, was described as "heartless", "calculated and orchestrated".
The judge said she did not believe Williamson had participated in the physical assault of Logan but was sure that Cole and the youth had.
Turning to Cole, the judge said: "You carried out a ferocious attack on a small, defenceless child."
To Williamson, the judge said it was clear that her relationship with Logan had changed when Cole came into their lives in April 2019. "Logan became superfluous, and in your eyes, he became a badly behaved and naughty child that no one described."
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Lianne Rees, of the South Wales Police Major Crime Investigations Team, said:
“Today’s sentences are a reflection of the appalling crimes committed back in July last year.
“It is incomprehensible that Logan had his life cut short in such tragic circumstances at the hands of those very people who should have been there to protect him.
“For Logan’s father, Ben, who stands beside me, today’s sentences are welcome news, however no amount of justice can bring Logan back, or compensate for the grief that continues to be felt. "
“Ben, and his family, have demonstrated incredible strength throughout the investigation and legal process. What they have been through is hard to comprehend, but they have endured everything with tremendous courage and dignity at this most difficult time.
“The impact Logan’s death has had, and continues to have on all those who loved and knew him within the local community, is immeasurable.
“Knowing that justice has been done for Logan, I hope they can now begin to rebuild their lives and celebrate the joy that he gave them during the precious time they had with him.
“Once again, I would like to pay tribute to the professionalism displayed by police officers and emergency service colleagues who were faced with the most traumatic scenes imaginable back in July of last year.
“I would also like thank my team of detectives and staff who have worked tirelessly on this investigation, together with the Crown Prosecution Service and Prosecution Counsel. The efforts of all involved have contributed to today’s outcome.”
Councillor Huw David, leader of Bridgend County Borough Council, said: "The death of five-year-old Logan Mwangi has been a deeply sad and tragic affair which has affected all who live within Bridgend County Borough.
"We are also united in our condemnation of the terrible actions of those who ended Logan's short life in such a cruel and brutal way, and the great lengths they went to in trying to hide the evidence of what they did from the authorities.
"Throughout the trial of his murderers, Logan was consistently described as being a loving, kind and caring little boy, one who was polite and popular among his friends and fellow pupils.
"Listening to the tributes from Logan's dad and his school, he was clearly a boy who brought joy and laughter to the lives of those he met, and it is hard to find adequate words for expressing just how devastating it is that such an awful murder could have happened in our county borough."
Council chief executive Mark Shephard added: "Now that the trial has concluded, Cwm Taf Morgannwg Regional Safeguarding Board is leading on the commissioning of a child practice review to enable relevant agencies to fully assess and consider their roles, and to determine whether any improvements can be made to further strengthen the overall standard of local services.
"We are awaiting the review's findings, and together with our partners we will implement any recommendations that it may contain to ensure that we can provide the best, most effective services possible for the local community."
In a statement, the Cwm Taf Morgannwg Safeguarding Board said a child practice review would be held into Logan's death.
"This child practice review aims to examine agencies' involvement with Logan and his family to identify what lessons can be learnt for the future," a spokeswoman said.
"As part of the child practice review process, a multi-agency learning event, attended by practitioners who had direct involvement with Logan and his family will be held so that agencies can share their understanding of what happened and identify key learning points.
"The panel has also identified opportunities to engage with the family of Logan, to support with this learning, so that the child is central to the whole process.
"A report is due to be presented to the regional safeguarding board in the autumn 2022, before being submitted to the Welsh Government for final endorsement and publication."
Assistant Director NSPCC Cymru/ Wales Tracey Holdsworth said: “What happened to Logan should never be forgotten, and it should make us even more determined in our efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect from happening.
“It is vital that the Child Safeguarding Practice Review leaves no stone unturned in establishing exactly what took place before Logan died and whether more could have been done to protect him by the agencies involved with his family.
“We need investment in children’s services in Wales to provide comprehensive support to any child at risk of harm and to be better equipped to prevent a tragedy such as this happening again.
“Anyone with concerns for the wellbeing of a child should contact the local authority, the police or the NSPCC helpline if they feel a child is at risk or could come to harm.”