Logan Mwangi trial: mum Angharad Williamson, stepdad and teen murdered boy, 5, and dumped his body in river

A mother, stepfather and teenage boy have all been found guilty of murdering a five-year-old whose battered body was found dumped in a river.

John Cole, 40, and Angharad Williamson, 31, of Sarn, Bridgend, were convicted of killing Logan Mwangi.

A 14-year-old youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was also found guilty or murder at Cardiff Crown Court.

What happened in court as the verdicts were returned?

When the jury delivered the verdicts, Williamson screamed “no, no, no”.

Judge Mrs Justice Jefford had to interrupt the jury and clerk from delivering the verdict to tell Williamson to be quiet.

She said: “Out of respect for your son… be quiet for the verdicts.”

As Williamson was led from the dock she struggled with the dock officers and shouted at Cole: “You lying motherf****** murderer.

“You liar.”

Williamson and the 14-year-old defendant were also found guilty of perverting the course of justice.

The judge adjourned the case for sentencing at a date to be fixed.

What happened to Logan Mwangi?

Logan, who had previously been described as a “smiling, cheerful little boy” was discovered in the River Ogmore in Pandy Park, Bridgend, South Wales, on the morning of July 31 2021.

He was found partially submerged wearing a pair of dinosaur pyjama bottoms and a Spider-Man top just 250 metres from his home.

He had 56 external cuts and bruises, and “catastrophic” internal injuries, which were likened to a high-speed road accident.

Experts said the injuries were “consistent with child abuse” and could have only been caused by a “brutal and sustained assault” inflicted on him in the hours, or days, prior to his death.

Prosecutors said that in the weeks leading up to his death, the five-year-old boy had been “dehumanised” by his family.

Logan began self-harming, he wet himself more frequently and his stammer is said to have worsened - particularly around Cole.

In the two days before Logan’s body was found, Williamson claimed that an argument about a spilt drink escalated and ended with Cole and the youth attacking him.

She claimed that Cole punched Logan twice in the stomach and ordered the youth to “sweep” Logan if he stuttered or flinched.

The youth then carried out a martial arts-style manoeuvre, kicking his legs out from under him while using his hand to slam his head to the ground.

Williamson said she screamed for them to stop but said Cole replied: “The only way this boy understands is pain.”

Two days later, she phoned the police at 5.45am reporting Logan missing – claiming to have awoken to find him gone and accusing a woman of taking him.

Police arrived at the flat to find Williamson hysterical, while Cole and the youth could be seen walking around the area calling for him.

Prosecutors said this was part of an “elaborate” cover-up concocted by the defendants and all three were accused of perverting the course of justice, of which Williamson and youth were convicted.

Cole, who was captured on CCTV carrying Logan’s body to the river from the flat, while being followed by the youth, admitted the charge.

He claimed he woke to the sound of Williamson screaming Logan was dead and he panicked.

CCTV shows a bedroom light being switched on and off while Cole and the youth were out – the prosecution used this evidence to show Williamson was awake and aware Logan was dead.

Cole said after dumping the boy’s body, Williamson sent him out again to hide his ripped pyjama top.

Were social services alerted to Logan Mwangi’s abuse?

A safeguarding referral was made by medics to the police after Logan suffered a broken arm in August 2020.

Williamson claimed he had fallen down the stairs.

She took him to hospital the day after the incident, saying that she thought he had only dislocated his shoulder and had tried to put it back.

Williamson later told a friend that the youth had confessed to pushing Logan down the stairs but it was not until January last year she told the police.

By March, due to concerns over Cole, Logan and his younger sibling had been assigned their own social worker, Gaynor Rush.

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.

A foster family the youth stayed with claimed to have heard him say he wanted to kill Logan.

They said they reported the teen’s “desire for violence” and threats to harm Logan to his social worker Debbie Williams but that she seemed unconcerned. Ms Williams denies this.

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.”

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.

Ms Rees 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.”