Mother and ‘spice head’ boyfriend convicted of murdering toddler Lola James

Following a trial at Swansea Crown Court, 31-year-old Kyle Bevan from Aberystwyth has been found guilty of murdering 2 year-old Lola James after subjecting her to a “brutal assault” in July 2020.

Bevan fatally injured Lola James by repeatedly hitting her in a savage attack that left his victim limp and unresponsive in the early hours of Friday, 17 July, 2020.

But instead of raising the alarm, he searched for advice on how to rouse an unconscious child, as well as taking photos and videos of the mortally-injured girl, which he sent to his mother, while his partner Sinead James slept.

It was an hour before the alarm was raised and help was sent to the dirty and cluttered home in Princess Royal Way in Haverfordwest.

Lola was taken to Withybush Hospital by ambulance before being transferred to University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, where she died as a result of her injuries on 21 July 2020.

The trial, heard by High Court judge Mr Justice Griffiths, was told that on the night of 16 July it is believed Lola was put to bed by Bevan, and she had no serious injury at this stage.

But by 6.32am Bevan was busy searching the internet for information about babies sustaining head impact and loss of consciousness, before taking images and footage of her bruised body.

Prosecutor Caroline Rees KC said that during the early hours of the morning Lola had sustained a catastrophic head injury and that Kyle Bevan was responsible for inflicting it.

It was not until 7.28am, nearly an hour after the internet searches, that Bevan asked his mother to call an ambulance, despite Lola being unconscious and clearly in need of urgent medical treatment.

The court also heard Lola was found to have 101 external injuries including bruises and grazes “all over her little body”.

The prosecutor said that examination of the child’s eyes showed serious and extensive damage to both retinas while a scan showed catastrophic and fatal brain injuries.

She said: “She (Lola) was the victim of what must have been a brutal, frenzied and violent attack at the hands of somebody she should have been able to trust.”

Three medical experts were called to give evidence at the trial and they were all in agreement that the level of injuries Lola had sustained were not consistent with a fall down carpeted stairs.

One of them, Paediatrician Dr Deborah Stalker, told the court that falls down stairs are common and that most children who do fall down stairs, including small children and babies, suffer minor soft tissue injuries.

Dr Stalker said: “In my opinion Lola’s severe and extensive injuries cannot be explained by a fall down the stairs.

“Physical abuse is the most likely cause. A stair fall does not explain the catastrophic and extensive injuries to the head with bleeding to both eyes.

 “An extensive subdural haemorrhage is usually the result of a high-velocity road traffic collision where a child is thrown from the collision, or a fall from a great height, such as a fall from a balcony or bedroom window of more than 10 feet.”

The court heard Bevan used drugs including Xanax, cannabis and amphetamines, and had a volatile temper.

Lola’s mother, 30-year-old Sinead James from Neyland was also found guilty of causing or allowing her death.

Bevan had lived in the family home in Haverfordwest for just four months before murdering the toddler.

The court heard James and Bevan met online in February 2020 and were soon living together as the country went into lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic, with Bevan taking on parenting duties.

Following her arrest, in police interview, James said when she spoke to her domestic violence officer, they asked for Bevan’s details.

She gave them his name but he refused to give her his date of birth saying they didn’t need that information.

An officer asked if she feared Kyle, to which she responded: “Sometimes yeah. If he takes drink or Xanax he gets really angry and I don’t like it and it’s really scary. I don’t like intimidation, I don’t like it.”

The officer pointed out every time Lola had an injury, Kyle was there and she wasn’t.

James said: “It’s looking really weird.”

The officer said: “Why are you never around, you’re their mother?”

James said: “I don’t know, I must be doing something. I’ve never injured (Lola).”

On one such occasion, just three to four weeks before she died, Lola suffered a black eye. Bevan blamed it on the dog, saying it had knocked her off the sofa.

Asked why she had not taken her daughter to get the care she needed, she said:  “Kyle said his mum was a nurse and I really did believe his mum was a nurse. He said he asked his mum and he said it was fine. I asked him if I should call (hospital) and he said no.”

The court heard about an incident on July 7, where Bevan was alleged to have shouted “f*** it” and pushed a child in a pram into the road.

James said the incident made her feel “sick”, and that Bevan “did not care”.

Ms Rees asked why James did not end their relationship there and then.

“I’m stupid,” said James. “He said he’d never do it ever again.”

But just over a week later Bevan fatally attacked Lola.

After a three week trial, the jury took just over 10 hours to find Bevan guilty, after he pleaded his innocence, blaming the couple’s American Bulldog for pushing Lola down the stairs.

Senior Investigating Officer DCI Gareth Roberts from Dyfed Powys Police said: “Today’s guilty verdict is welcomed, and our thoughts at this time are with Lola and the family who loved her. 

“Lola died on July 21, 2020, as a result of horrendous injuries which were inflicted by Kyle Bevan in what must have been a frenzied and extremely violent attack on a helpless two-year-old child. 

“Lola had 101 external injuries to her body and her death was caused by a catastrophic brain injury, likely caused by blunt force trauma – punching or slapping – shaking, or a combination of both.

“Bevan delayed raising the alarm and seeking medical attention for at least an hour after he inflicted the fatal injuries and in the time since he has shown no remorse, emotion or any care for Lola. Consumed by his own self-preservation, Bevan lied and fabricated an accidental stair fall to try and cover his tracks but, with the help of medical experts, we have been able to prove that his actions were deliberate, abhorrent and evil. 

“Lola should have been able to rely on her own mother to keep her safe from harm and physical risk. However, Sinead James seriously failed in her duty towards her daughter.  She was, or at least ought to have been, well aware of the risk of violence which Bevan posed to her child but did nothing to protect Lola from the danger which he presented.”

DCI Roberts said: “This incident occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sinead James struck up a new relationship with Kyle Bevan in February 2020 and allowed him into her life, moving in with her after only knowing each other for a day – there was then a period of lockdown where Kyle Bevan remained and lived within Sinead James’ household. 

“Neither Bevan or James were open to any agency at that time and there was no external professional assessment of their new relationship.  

“This investigation commenced after police officers were called to Princess Royal Way in Haverfordwest on Friday, July 17, 2020 to a report of an injured two-year-old child, falsely presented by Bevan as a stair fall. 

“Tragically, Lola James had suffered a significant brain injury and died three days later on July 20. Medical experts subsequently noted 101 separate injuries to her body, most of which were determined as abusive inflicted injuries – they were deemed to be non-accidental and not consistent with a stair fall.

“Concerns were raised from the outset and an investigation was commenced that has been complex, exhaustive and emotionally demanding for all professionals due to the clear horrific abuse of a vulnerable child. 

“A significant volume of probative evidence was gathered that contradicted the lies of Bevan, with compelling medical expert opinion being critical.

“Specialist officers have supported Lola’s close family throughout the difficult and distressing investigation. I’d like to thank the community, many of which were brave to provide important witness testimony. 

“I’d also like to personally thank Lola’s family for the respectful manner that they have conducted themselves as this difficult investigation progressed. The love for Lola is clear and it is a tragedy that will be difficult to overcome, however, I hope this outcome brings some comfort.”

Daniel Thomas, Lola’s biological father said: “The pain and grief I feel every time I close my eyes and see your perfect little face is unbearable. The pain I feel thinking of all the smiles you gave to me and all the smiles I won’t get a chance to give back to you hurts so much. 

“Even to say your name shatters my heart to know you can’t hear my voice anymore, the only reason I can stand here today is for hope that you can see me, see that you were loved and that you deserved to live a full, happy, safe life surrounded by the joy that you gave to others.

“I’m so sorry your short life was filled with so much pain. You are so loved Lola and so missed every single day.

“A great team with much passion has worked together for this day since you’ve left us.

“Special thanks to the investigation team for not leaving any question unanswered or stone unturned, and to my family support officers for keeping me focused and guiding me through the darkest hours along with my closest friends and family.

“The outcome here will never stop the hurt you felt or the hurt that lives inside of me, it’s been a long time coming to see justice and I can only pray that these cruel, evil people that hurt you and allowed you to be hurt, suffer pain and torment until they take their last breath.”

Nicola James, Lola’s maternal grandmother said: “We would like to thank the police, local authority and all involved for everything they have done to get us to this point.  We will be forever grateful for the support we have received from our Family Liaison Officers and the support we have received from Sandy Bears.  

“My last memory with Lola is hearing her singing the song ‘Diamonds’ by Rhianna.  She and her sister had spent time learning the song and making up a little dance to it, so that they could put on a show for us.

“She will forever be our diamond up in the sky, we will never ever forget her, and we will continue to keep her memory alive.  We write her letters, and we talk to her in the sky at night.

“As a family we will never get over this, the loss that we feel is indescribable.  We haven’t begun to process all of this, and don’t know how we ever will.  

“Lola we love you, we will always love you, and we will miss you forever.”

Kyle Bevan and Sinead James will be sentenced on 25 April.

(Lead image: Family photo)