Logan Mwangi: Jury shown video of PC finding boy dead in river

A video showing the moment a five-year-old boy was found dead in a river has been played to a jury.

Logan Mwangi's body was found in the River Ogmore in Bridgend county just after 06:00 BST on 31 July, 2021.

Cardiff Crown Court heard police went there after a 999 call was made by Logan's mother Angharad Williamson.

The 30-year-old, along with his step-father John Cole, 40, both of Sarn, Bridgend county, and a 14-year-old boy, who cannot be named, all deny murder.

The footage, which jurors were warned was "distressing in nature", was taken from the body-worn camera of South Wales Police PC Lauren Keen.

It shows the officer running towards Logan's body in the river within Pandy Park, in Sarn.

Having spotted Logan's body through an opening in a hedge at the corner of the park near the young boy's home, she turned on her camera before running down the muddy bank towards boulders which Logan lay beyond.

The court heard last week how Logan was found wearing mismatched pyjamas and having suffered more than 56 "catastrophic" injuries to his head and body.

PC Keen told the jury: "[Logan] was laying on his right side.

"He was in an open foetal position and he was submerged under the water.

"I immediately went into the water, I took around three strides to get to where Logan was.

"I picked him up in my arms and walked back towards where special constable [Peter] Freeth was waiting on the bank.

"I could see Logan had an injury to the left side of his head.

"His eyes were wide open, his body was stiff and his lips blue.

"I formed the opinion that Logan was deceased."

As the short video was played, Logan's mother began sobbing loudly in the dock, leaning her head on a prison officer.

Another clip of both officers trying to revive Logan was also played in court, although the video had been heavily blurred by investigators.

PC Keen added: "My immediate opinion was that Logan was unfortunately already deceased, but it wasn't down to me to determine that was the case.

"So I just tried my best until paramedics arrived."

Mr Freeth recalled finding Logan and described him wearing "dinosaur pyjama bottoms and a Spiderman top".

He said: "I was aware of people in the park shouting out Logan's name. Even after we had discovered the body.

"There were two males calling out his name. My main concern was blocking their view in case they were relatives."

Paramedic Mark Howells, who had attended the scene, told the court that Logan's extremely low body temperature led him to assume he "could've been in the river for some hours".

Another paramedic, Rhian Bevan, recalled how she had detected rigor mortis in the child's fingers and arms.

Several medics recalled seeing Ms Williamson "hysterically crying" and later shouting "Why won't anybody tell me anything?".

Andrew Connelly, a paramedic for 37 years, said she had told him that she had not seen her son since 9.45pm the night before when she "tucked him into bed", and that she woke up to find the gate open and Logan missing.

Paramedic Richard Hopkins said he last saw Ms Williamson at the Prince of Wales Hospital where Logan was taken and that she began to scream as she entered the doors.

It has been alleged by the prosecution that both Ms Williamson's 999 call to police that morning and her behaviour when emergency services arrived at Lower Llansantffraid were part of an act designed to cover up her involvement in her son's death.

Police officer Ryan Matthews, who attended the scene and searched the family's flat, told the court Logan's bedsheet had been removed from his room.

"I noticed either a tumble dryer or washing machine was on mid-cycle before I went into the garden," he said.

Ms Rees told the court last week how officers had seized Logan's bedsheet from the appliances days after he was found in the river.

In further footage shown to the court, from PC Matthews' body worn camera, the officer can be seen approaching Mr Cole and the youth, then 13 years old, in the park and asking them to go back to the house.

Mr Cole and the teenager were both heard asking PC Matthews "Is he OK?".

The pair's concern and search for Logan throughout the morning has also been alleged by the prosecution to have been done with an aim to mislead the police.

The three defendants are also accused of perverting the course of justice, including dumping Logan's body in the river near Pandy Park like "fly-tipped rubbish", removing his clothing, washing bloodstained bed linen, and making a false missing person report to police.

Ms Williamson and the youth pleaded not guilty to both offences, while Mr Cole denied murder but admitted perverting the course of justice.

Both adults also deny causing or allowing the death of a child.

The trial continues.