Arthur’s father, Thomas Hughes, 29, was sentenced to 21 years in prison Friday, while stepmother Emma Tastin, 32, was sentenced to life in prison, along with at least 29 years for assault and murder.
The 6-year-old, who lived with his family in Solihull near Birmingham, was poisoned, starved and beaten by his father and stepmother – and his treatment was described as long-standing “vicious abuse”.
Convicted of brutally murdering a 5-year-old child
– One of the worst
The boy died on June 16 last year as a result of a fatal head injury caused by his stepmother. He was found at home with 130 bruises, according to The Guardian.
West Midlands Police Detective Laura Harrison called the case one of the worst cases of child abuse ever.
– We often don’t see what’s going on behind closed doors, but in this case we did, she said Watchman.
audio clips
In court, surveillance photos from the house in Solihull were shown. During the 44-second clip that was shown, the boy said seven times “No one will feed me.” In another 23-second clip, he said four times “Nobody loves me,” according to the BBC.
The boy is said to have been forced to stand upright for up to 14 hours straight without food and drink.
According to the prosecution, the 6-year-old was subjected to “incomprehensible and escalating cruelty” in the lead up to his death. Among other things, the stepmother is said to have given him food containing a lot of salt, something harmful to health.
– evil
In court, Judge Mark Wall called the case one of the most “disturbing” he had ever dealt with, according to him. BBC.
“The brutal and inhuman treatment that Arthur received was an act of will on your part, and his cry for help was dismissed as obscene,” Wall said in court.
The judge stated that it was particularly disturbing that the stepmother’s children were living a happy life at home, at the same time that Arthur was being abused.
Both the father and stepmother deny the criminal charge. The latter refused to appear before the court during the sentence being pronounced.
Referred to the Attorney General
After Representative Julian Knight – elected from Solihull – expressed that the ruling against the father and stepmother was too lenient and that the case should be appealed, the attorney general confirmed it was under consideration, he writes. Sky News.
I can confirm that the sentences of Emma Tastin and Thomas Hughes have been referred to the Attorney General for review to determine whether they are too low, as stated in a statement from the Attorney General.
The oyster may have solved the murder mystery
Messages sent about worry
Joanne Hughes’s 6-year-old grandmother said in court that she had previously submitted photos of the boy’s injuries to police and childcare services, but nothing was done.
“It is clear that Arthur has been let down by the same authorities that we, as a society, believe are in place to ensure everyone’s safety,” she said. BBC.
As former British Children’s Minister Tim Lawton spoke Sky News It is important to learn from this situation.
The question we must ask ourselves is why the system did not work to protect this child, he says.
Ahead of the Chelsea-West Ham game on Saturday, a memorial service was held for the boy.