Gran of ‘murdered’ schoolboy, 6, referred him to Social Services weeks before his death – Mirror.co.uk

Joanne Hughes had contacted social services five weeks before six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes died after suffering an alleged “shaking injury”, a teacher at the boy’s school said

Arthur Labinjo-Hughes was ‘banged’ to the head and suffered multiple bleeds on the brain, the court heard (

Image: BPM Media)

The grandma of a six-year-old boy made a referral to social services just weeks before he died, his murder trial has heard.

Concerned Joanne Hughes had contacted the local authority regarding Arthur Labinjo-Hughes last April, just five weeks before he died in the early hours of June 17, 2020.

The schoolboy, from Solihull, West Midlands, suffered fatal brain damage from an alleged bang to the head and “shaking injury”, reports Birmingham Live.

Speaking during the trial’s 14th day on Tuesday, Sarah Turrell, a teaching assistant at Dickens Heath Community Primary School, where Arthur was a pupil, confirmed the referral.

She said she had spoken to Thomas Hughes the same day but he “had no concerns” and said his son was “playing happily in the garden”.

Ms Turrell had previously assured the dad she was happy to remain in contact after the UK was placed in lockdown in March last year.

Hughes, 29, of Stroud Road, Shirley, and Emma Tustin, 32, of Cranmore Road, Shirley, have both pleaded not guilty to murder.

Tustin admitted one count of child cruelty, but has denied further charges of the same offence. Hughes also denies child cruelty offences.

Arthur Labinjo-Hughes has denied murdering his son

Emma Tustin admitted one count of child cruelty

Ms Turrell said that in early February 2020 she “stepped up work with Arthur.”

“Right at the end of the winter term, December, there was an observation of Arthur being upset,” she told the hearing.

“We were doing the Christmas production with him. He got upset when the baby in the nativity scene was taken out of the crib.

“It was his Year 1 teacher who came to me and had a conversation about picking up more work with Arthur because we were starting to see behaviour which was an indicator for us to act on.”

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Source: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/gran-murdered-schoolboy-6-referred-25306443