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Logan Mwangi: Unforgivable to dump child's body, trial hears

BBC Logan Mwangi, also known as Logan WilliamsonBBC
Logan Mwangi was found dead in the River Ogmore in Sarn, Bridgend county, last July

Dumping five-year-old Logan Mwangi's body in a river was unforgivable, a court has heard.

Logan's stepfather John Cole denies his murder but admitted a charge of perverting the course of justice.

Logan's body was found in the River Ogmore in Sarn, Bridgend, last July with 56 external injuries.

During his closing speech, Cole's defence barrister, David Elias QC said the trial at Cardiff Crown Court had been "harrowing".

Logan's mother, Angharad Williamson, 31, and a 14-year-old boy also deny murdering the child.

Addressing the jury, Mr Elias said: "The prosecution don't say to you who it was who inflicted fatal injuries because they can't.

"They don't say to you that it happened at this particular time because they can't.

"They ask you to convict all of these defendants because they must all have been involved."

Angharad Williamson and John Cole
Angharad Williamson and John Cole are both charged with murdering Logan

Mr Elias said he accepted Cole, 40, started the trial "as the man who took a five-year-old boy to the river in the dead of night" which he referred to as a "very low starting point indeed".

Mr Elias said the action was "unforgivable" and he read again to the jury comments by Cole about what he did with Logan's body.

"The moment I moved Logan to the river, that was disgusting. I will pay for that."

But Mr Elias pointed out that "time and time again" Cole had said he did not kill Logan.

He also said the medical evidence did not rule out Cole's version of events - that he had gone to sleep at around midnight before being woken after 02:00 BST by Ms Williamson telling him Logan was dead.

He told the jury they would have to decide who was being "manipulative" in the case and referred to the evidence from Joanne Brooks, who was in prison at the same time as Ms Williamson.

River Ogmore
Logan's body was found 250 metres away from the flat he shared with his family

He said her evidence showed Ms Williamson to be "a woman who can turn it on and off, a woman who revelled in the publicity of it all".

Barristers for Ms Williamson and the teenage defendant are expected to begin their closing speeches on Wednesday.

They both deny a charge of perverting the course of justice.

The trial continues.