Five days after Craig Mulligan moved into the same house as Logan Mwangi, he was murdered, which prosecutors described as “no coincidence.”
Craig Mulligan, a 14-year-old “monster” sentenced to life in prison for the murder of 5-year-old Logan Mwangi, has been identified.
Typically, children in criminal cases are not identified, but in this instance, a judge at Cardiff Crown Court decided to lift an anonymity order.
Reporters requested its removal, citing public interest and open justice.
Previously, Mulligan, along with Logan’s mother, Angharad Williamson, 31, and Mulligan’s stepfather, John Cole, 40, were given life sentences in prison.
The 13-year-old participated in fatal assaults against Logan and assisted Cole in disposing of Logan’s body in the River Ogmore in Bridgend.
Five days after Mulligan moved into the same house as Logan, Logan was murdered, which prosecutors described as “no coincidence.”
The judge stated that the deceased child weighed only 3st 1lb and was 3ft 5in tall.
A foster family with whom Mulligan was placed told the court that he made their lives a “living hell” and that they became “terrified” of him.
Over the course of a few weeks, he allegedly made repeated threats to kill them as well as their daughter, foster mother, and dog.
Concerns were raised when he asked two young girls if they wanted to participate in a “murder game” and instructed them to place themselves inside black trash bags.
While he reportedly spoke fondly of his stepfather, stepmother, and youngest sibling, he allegedly expressed a desire to “kill the five-year-old” (Logan).
They told the court that Mulligan was a “monster” who had a “desire for violence.”
After the murder of Logan, Mulligan was returned to the care of the local authority.
A caregiver repeatedly heard him singing: “I love kids. I f***ing love kids. I enjoy punching children in the head. It is ecstatic.”
He told another, “I did some bad things, but I cannot discuss them.”
Williamson and Cole filed a petition for custody of Mulligan with the family court. On 26 July 2021, they won their case, and he moved in with them.
The body of Logan was discovered on July 31, 2021, only 250 meters from his residence.
Mulligan allegedly “idolize[d]” Cole, who had raised him since he was nine months old, and viewed him as a “God-like” figure.
Cole dated Mulligan’s mother before becoming her caregiver.
Mulligan was removed from his mother’s care after she violently assaulted him and subsequently spent six months in the care of the Bridgend County Borough Council.
At this point, he was a “complex, troubled, and violent boy,” according to prosecutor Caroline Rees QC.
Mulligan was diagnosed with multiple neurodevelopmental disorders, according to Mulligan’s attorney.
During his trial at Cardiff Crown Court, it was revealed that Logan sustained 56 external cuts and bruises in addition to “catastrophic” internal injuries.
According to reports, he was wearing mismatched pajamas and endured a “brutal and sustained assault.”
The child’s injuries were compared to those sustained by victims of high-speed collisions or falls from heights.
Williamson was sentenced to at least 28 years in prison, while Cole will serve at least 29 years.
Mulligan will be incarcerated for a minimum of 15 years.
After lifting the anonymity order issued under Section 45 of the Youth Justice Criminal Evidence Act, Justice Jefford stated, “After considering the arguments presented this morning, I have decided to lift the reporting restrictions in this case.”
The judge described the concealment of Logan’s body in the river as “heartless,” “calculated, and orchestrated” when passing the sentence.
She went on: “You are responsible for Logan’s death and all of the subsequent suffering.
“Because he was murdered in his own home, it is impossible to determine his fate.
The infliction of these injuries on a small, defenseless five-year-old is horrifying.
