Boy found dead in river had internal injuries ‘consistent with child abuse’

Logan Mwangi, also known as Logan Williamson, was found dead in the River Ogmore in Bridgend last year, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

Angharad Williamson, 30, and her partner, John Cole, 39, in the dock at Cardiff Crown Court (Elizabeth Cook/PA) (PA Wire)

A five-year-old boy found dead in a river had suffered severe internal injuries that were “consistent with child abuse”, a court has been told.

Logan Mwangi, also known as Logan Williamson, was found dead in the River Ogmore in Pandy Park, Bridgend, on July 31 2021.

Found by police officers around 250 metres from the flat he shared with his family in Lower Llansantffraid, Sarn, the young boy is said to have suffered more than 56 external injuries.

Logan’s mother Angharad Williamson, 30, stepfather John Cole, and a 14-year-old boy, who cannot legally be identified, are on trial for his murder at Cardiff Crown Court.

As the hearing began on Monday, prosecutor Caroline Rees QC warned the jury and others sat in the courtroom that they might find the evidence “distressing”, adding: “It might be difficult to listen to.”

During the first days of the trial, when a summary of the medical evidence was read out, judge Mrs Justice Jefford paused the hearing so jury members who were visibly upset could have a break.

The view of the River Ogmore in Sarn, Bridgend, Wales, close to where the body of five-year-old Logan Mwangi, also known as Logan Williamson, was discovered on July 31 2021 (Ben Birchall/PA) (PA Wire)

Ms Rees reassured members of the jury that no videos or photographs of Logan’s body would be shown, and instead computer generated images of his injuries would be produced.

Williamson, who was present in the dock next to Cole, sobbed throughout the testimony given by HomeOffice forensic pathologist Dr John Williams on Monday.

Dr Williams described finding extensive injuries to Logan’s body and head when he carried out a post-mortem examination on August 1 last year, the day after he was found.

Logan, who was three feet tall and weighed just over three stone, had 14 bruises and grazes to his head and neck alone, with dozens more to his body, legs, feet, arms and hands.

His internal injuries, described as so severe they were more likely to be found in a victim of a high-velocity car accident or fall from a great height, included a large tear to his liver and another to his small bowel.

There was also a degloving injury to the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine, which Dr Williams said was generally rare in children but that studies have found are “commonly recorded in abused children”.

The estate where Logan lived and the river where his body was discovered by officers (Ben Birchall/PA) (PA Wire)

He had also suffered a broken collarbone and “very traumatic damage to his brain”.

Dr Williams concluded Logan had died from “severe blunt force trauma”.

He added: “In the absence of a high velocity accident it must be considered he died as a result of inflicted injuries made by a blow or blows, kick or kicks, impact or impacts with a weapon.”

Some of the injuries, including the brain damage, could have been caused up to two days before Logan died, Dr Williams said.

He said there were no signs of drowning and that all the injuries had been caused prior to death.

The pathologist agreed the injuries could have been caused in one incident or in separate incidents when questioned by Cole’s defence counsel David Elias QC.

It is alleged the three defendants were involved in murdering Logan before concocting a cover-up plan which included dumping his body in the river, phoning the police to falsely report him missing, and washing his bloodstained bed linen.

Both Williamson and the youth deny murder and perverting the course of justice. Cole denies murder but admits perverting the course of justice.

Cole and Williamson are also charged with causing or allowing the death of a child.

The trial continues.