Logan Mwangi: Teenager was 'moving rubbish', court told

A teenager was moving rubbish to dump into a river, hours before a child's body was found, a court has heard.

CCTV captured the 14-year-old and co-accused John Cole moving bags in the early hours of 31 July, 2021.

Cardiff Crown Court heard they were thrown into the River Ogmore, Bridgend, to avoid a fine.

Five-year-old Logan Mwangi's body was found in the same river later that day. The youth, Cole and Logan's mum Angharad Williamson all deny murder.

On Monday, the jury was read interviews the teenager gave to South Wales Police in which he denied knowing what happened to Logan.

In an interview on 2 August, he said he and Cole, Logan's step-dad, had been moving rubbish in the early hours to avoid having to pay "hundreds" to get rid of it.

The teenager said he believed the bags contained "polystyrene and broken toys".

He explained how he and Cole took the bags to the River Ogmore and dumped them. They returned 20 minutes later to check they had disappeared.

Asked why they returned to check, the youth said: "So we didn't get a £1,000 fine."

Asked why they might get a fine, the youth replied, "because it's fly-tipping".

He was interviewed again the following day after Cole had told police he had moved Logan's body in the early hours of 31 July. He said he had got his days mixed up in the previous interview.

The teenager said that he followed Cole after he saw him putting something over his shoulder that he thought was a bin bag.

He said he was "not that far, not that close" to Cole and added: "I didn't know he was carrying Logan or anything."

The teenager added he followed Cole "to make sure he didn't get seen by anyone for the £1,000 fine" and said he initially did not know if Cole knew he was there.

When Cole did become aware, the youth said the pair did not speak.

In another interview on 4 August, the boy was asked about what happened on the morning of 31 July, when the youth and Cole were again captured on CCTV appearing to look for Logan and shouting his name.

"I didn't know what to think. I thought he'd been snatched," he told police.

The teenager also denied causing injures to Logan, or knowing who might have been responsible for any injuries.

When told about Logan's extensive injuries the teenager said he didn't know how they might have happened.

He added that he thought bruising to Logan's eye may have been caused by Logan throwing a toy and it hitting his face.

The youth told police how Logan broke the toy when he threw it, causing Ms Williamson to grab her son and shake him in an attempt to get him to "tell the truth".

In interviews Ms Williamson gave to the police she said Cole had assaulted Logan, punching him "three or four times to the stomach" and that he "went flying".

She said Cole had encouraged the youth to join in and "sweep" Logan's legs from under him the next time the young boy "flinched".

Ms Williamson added that Cole had said: "The only way this boy understands is pain."

The teenager said Ms Williamson's statements were false, adding: "I did not see (Cole) lay a finger on him."

At the end of his final interview the youth added: "You can tell Angharad Williamson to [expletive] off for me. She is blaming me and John Cole. I am just sick of this.

"She is just saying what she wants to get out of the [expletive] cells."

Previously, Mr Cole has admitted a charge of perverting the course of justice, which Ms Williamson and the 14-year-old deny.

The two adults are also charged with causing or allowing the death of a child, which they both deny.

The trial continues.