Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: Social worker said 'play' caused boy's bruises

A social worker thought that bruises on a six-year-old boy allegedly murdered weeks later by his father were from "boisterous play", a court heard.

Jurors at Coventry Crown Court were also told Arthur Labinjo-Hughes had become "fixated" on death and his father killing him.

Arthur died in Solihull in June 2020.

His father Thomas Hughes and partner Emma Tustin deny the boy's murder and multiple counts of child cruelty.

It is alleged Ms Tustin carried out a fatal assault while in sole care of Arthur at her home on Cranmore Road, Solihull, and immediately afterwards took a photo on her phone as he lay dying in the hallway.

On Tuesday, Coventry Crown Court heard that social services, who carried out a home visit with Arthur weeks before his death, told his teachers they had "no concerns" about his well-being.

Michelle Hull, a teacher and safeguarding lead at Dickens Heath Community Primary School, said she was alerted to the social services referral by Arthur's paternal grandmother, Joanne Hughes. She said Mrs Hughes told teachers on 20 April last year that she had contacted the authorities.

Ms Hull told the court: "She said that she had seen Arthur and he had bruises on, I think, it was his back."

Ms Hull said Arthur's grandmother also had separate concerns about Ms Tustin's "mental health" and said she was a "coercive" partner.

The court heard that Ms Hull told Mrs Hughes she would follow up on the referral by calling children's services to see what happened when a family support worker visited Arthur at Cranmore Road.

Prosecutor Jonas Hankin QC asked Ms Hull: "What, if any, information were you given about the nature of the checks that social services said had been performed?"

Ms Hull replied: "They said they'd seen Arthur and that the injuries were from boisterous play. That the family relationship seemed OK. And they had no concerns."

She added social services told her she "wasn't allowed to share any information with Arthur's grandmother because [parental] consent hadn't been given".

Ms Hull volunteered for the school "to stay involved and just do check-ins with the family", to which Mr Hughes consented.

Earlier on Tuesday, jurors heard that Arthur was a "lovely boy" who had "settled in" well to school life, after joining in 2019.

However, he "changed considerably" after being told his natural mother had been jailed, following her conviction for killing her new partner.

He had developed a "fixation" on death and murder, his father leaving him, and his being taken away and his "dad killing him", the court heard.

Prosecutors previously said Arthur was banged repeatedly against a hard surface at Ms Tustin's home, suffering a brain injury that could not be survived.

It is also alleged he was subjected to a campaign of mistreatment and poisoned with salt.

Mr Hughes, 29, of Stroud Road, and Ms Tustin, 32, of Cranmore Road, each deny murder.

Ms Tustin admits child cruelty by ill-treating Arthur, a charge that Mr Hughes denies.

They both deny allegations of child cruelty by administering salt to Arthur between 1 and 17 June 2020.

Both also deny two counts of child cruelty by assault on multiple occasions and also by withholding food and/or drink.

The trial continues.

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