Drug addict who murdered his two-year-old stepdaughter Lola James inflicted ‘gratuitous violence’ on the little girl as full ‘disturbing’ details of case are revealed after he was jailed for life
- Kyle Bevan, 31, was jailed for murder in April after a trial at Swansea Crown Court
- New details have been revealed in a separate case behind closed doors in 2021
A drug addict who murdered his two-year-old stepdaughter inflicted ‘gratuitous violence’ on the little girl – as the full ‘disturbing’ details of the case are revealed after he was jailed for life earlier this year.
Kyle Bevan, 31, a self-confessed ‘spice head’, launched a savage attack on Lola James in July 2020 after the toddler’s mother failed to protect her following months of abuse.
Mother Sinead James, 30, allowed Bevan to move into her squalid home in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, just days after meeting him on Facebook at the start of the Covid pandemic.
Trial judge Mr Justice Griffiths sentenced Bevan to 28 years behind bars following a trial at Swansea Crown Court. Lola’s mother was jailed for six years after being found guilty of causing or allowing the youngster’s death.
Prior to this, Mr Justice Mostyn had separately considered the case, at private hearings and made findings of fact. Social services bosses at Pembrokeshire County Council had asked Mr Justice Mostyn to make decisions relating to the welfare of other children.
He had overseen a behind-closed-doors trial, in the summer of 2021, at a family court in Swansea. Mr Justice Mostyn’s ruling was not made public until criminal proceedings had ended – to prevent jurors being influenced – but it has now been published.
Two-year-old Lola James (pictured) was killed by Kyle Bevan after the toddler’s mother failed to protect her following months of abuse
Kyle Bevan, 31, inflicted ‘gratuitous’ violence on the little girl. Lola’s mother Sinead James (right), 30, sentenced to six years
The civil court judge heard how the murderer had ‘hair-trigger volatility’ and threatened to kill his own mother.
Mr Justice Mostyn, who is based in the Family Division of the High Court in London, said the picture Bevan’s mother painted of him was ‘truly disturbing’.
The judge concluded that Bevan ‘abusively inflicted Lola’s injuries’ early on Friday July 17 2020, and had previously inflicted ‘gratuitous violence’ on the little girl.
Lola’s mother was asleep when the little girl suffered her injuries which caused her death, Mr Justice Mostyn concluded.
But he said he was satisfied, ‘to a level appreciably higher than a balance of probability’, that James was aware that Bevan had been abusing Lola, ‘yet did nothing’ to protect her.
Mr Justice Mostyn also heard how Bevan had threatened to kill his mother, Alison Bevan, who had worked on a nursing ward.
She had described her son’s ‘hair-trigger volatility’ and painted a ‘truly disturbing’ picture, Mr Justice Mostyn said.
‘Alison Bevan explained in disarmingly frank evidence that her son had a history of drug abuse going back to his teenage years,’ said Mr Justice Mostyn in a ruling which has now been published online.
Lola, pictured with a muddy face: Her grandmother described the little girl as a ‘cheeky monkey and never happier than when wearing her wellies, playing outside, caked in mud’
Photographs of the home showed old takeaway boxes and cigarette buts on a wooden table near Lola’s toys
Bevan is believed to have cleaned the bath after putting Lola in it, either to revive her or to clean her after the assault. A child’s wet, vomit and blood-stained grey Frozen onesie which she is believed to have been wearing when she was attacked was later found in the corner of the living room. Paramedics arrived to find Lola wet and in clean clothes
Lola was rushed to hospital with the horrific injuries where she remained for four days until her death on July 17 2020
‘Alison Bevan explained to me that her son had always had an anger problem with her.
‘Fury would erupt when she would not provide him with money or with prescription drugs which he expected her to steal for him from the nursing ward on which she worked.
‘This had been going on for years.’
Mr Justice Mostyn added: ‘She explained that when he loses his temper there is shouting and screaming, intimidation and loss of control.
‘When out of control and raging he had threatened to kill her. ‘This had happened on four or five occasions.’
Mr Justice Mostyn went on: ‘The picture that she painted of her own son treating her with such contempt and malevolence was truly disturbing.’
Bevan had denied murdering Lola. As Lola lay dying, he tried to blame the family dog for her death and used the little girl’s final hours to cover his tracks instead of calling for an ambulance.
Mr Justice Mostyn also heard how Bevan (pictured) had threatened to kill his mother, Alison Bevan, who had worked on a nursing ward
Tributes and toys left outside of the house where Lola James was living in Haverfordwest, Wales, after her death in 2020
James (pictured) was a victim of domestic abuse and had been educated twice on how to spot signs of an abuser, but she chose to prioritise her relationship with Bevan over her child’s safety, the court heard previously
He filmed disturbing pictures and videos of Lola, showing marks on her back and swelling and bruising to her head, eyes and lips. One doctor who examined Lola said she was ‘the most battered and bruised child’ she had ever seen during her long career.
Judges heard that Bevan had moved in soon after connecting with James on Facebook. Lola was killed months later.
Mr Justice Mostyn said: ‘By any objective standards the formation of her relationship with Mr Bevan on 18 February 2020, moving from being strangers to cohabitants in the space of a few hours, is almost impossible to comprehend.
‘It does demonstrate an extreme neediness on the part of the mother and a readiness to surrender basic responsibility in order to fill her needs.’
Throughout the sentencing hearing at Swansea Crown Court Bevan remained expressionless and showed no emotion as he was jailed for life for murdering little Lola.
Mr Justice Mostyn said James had been assessed as having a low IQ.
Lola joined a harrowing rollcall of children – including Finley Boden, Star Hobson, Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Logan Mwangi – who were left alone to die at the hands of their killer parents during lockdown.
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