Kyle Bevan caused “catastrophic” brain injuries to Lola James, who allegedly tumbled down the stairs after the dog pushed her. According to medical experts, she sustained 101 separate injuries, including a “catastrophic” brain injury.
A mother and her “monster” partner were incarcerated for the murder of a 2-year-old child.
Kyle Bevan, age 31, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 28 years for the murder of his partner’s daughter in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire.
Sinead James, the mother of Lola, was sentenced to six years in prison for causing or permitting her death; however, she must serve only three years before she is eligible for release.
The assault by Bevan occurred on July 17, 2020, and Lola passed away four days later.
On her body, medical professionals identified 101 separate injuries, including a “catastrophic” brain injury.
Judge Mr. Justice Griffiths stated that he was certain that Bevan “was responsible for multiple assaults on the children before killing Lola.”
“He [Bevan] didn’t get emergency assistance, he didn’t wake Lola’s mum up. Instead, he attempted to conceal his actions, the judge said.
He moved Lola’s body around, photographing and even filming it contemptuously.
Before sentencing, Nicola James, Lola’s grandmother, directly addressed Bevan, saying, “Look at me, Kyle.”
James was in floods of tears, but he scarcely reacted and displayed no remorse.
Ms. James stated, “I think of Lola every single moment of every single day.”
“Lola was almost three years old when she was murdered; she had her entire existence ahead of her. She’ll never grow up, never get elderly.”
According to testimony in court, Lola was a “charming, smiling, bubbly, mischievous little girl.”
Ms. James concluded her statement by again addressing Bevan directly in the dock.
“Kyle. “You took the life of my young, innocent granddaughter,” she said. “By killing my grandmother, you have shattered her family,”
In a statement read on his behalf, Lola’s father, Daniel Thomas, described his daughter as “as golden as the sun.”
“Lola will not celebrate another birthday, ride a bicycle, or hear her favorite story,” he said.
“I will never get to meet my daughter as a teenager or a woman.”
He stated that he mourned his daughter “every day.”
“Driven by the dog”
Bevan, from Aberystwyth, claimed that Lola had tumbled down the stairs after being pushed by the family’s American bulldog.
Sinead James branded Bevan a “monster” who “needs to rot in hell” during the trial.
“If I had gotten him out of the house, my daughter would still be alive today,” she explained.
The judge described Lola’s mother as “extremely repentant” and “truly devastated” over her daughter’s passing.
However, he stated that James did not fear Bevan and that she could “remove herself and her children from Kyle Bevan and berate him when she believed he deserved it”
The judge added that she “failed to respond to warnings regarding Kyle Bevan’s conduct.”
During the four-week Swansea Crown Court trial, the jury heard how Lola was murdered while Sinead James slept upstairs.
She reported that Bevan had awakened her at approximately 7:20 a.m. to inform her that Lola had tumbled down the stairs and that the dog “pushed” her.
She informed 999 operators, Lola’s face was “swollen” and she was “terrified” when she discovered her unresponsive on the settee.
As the rest of the home was filthy, police believed that Bevan cleaned the bathtub after placing Lola in it, either to revive her or to clean her of blood and vomit.
In the corner of the living room, investigators discovered a grey nightgown soiled by both parties.
In response to Lola’s passing, NSPCC Cymru has called for child protection to be elevated to “national priority”
Tracey Holdsworth, assistant director of the charity, stated that the girl’s future had been “cruelly taken away.”
She added, “The Child Practise Review into Lola’s death must determine if more could have been done by agencies to save her, and drive the action necessary to help prevent such tragic cases in the future.”
