News

Tragic Lola’s head injury result of ‘frenzied, brutal and violent attack’ – CPS

Published

3 years ago

March 8, 2023

THE PROSECUTION in the case of two people who are charged with causing the death of Haverfordwest toddler Lola James, 2, have given their opening statement to the jury.

Swansea Crown Court heard on Wednesday (Mar 8) that Lola had 101 separate surface injuries to her tiny body when she arrived at hospital.

Kyle Bevan, 31, said the injuries was a result of the family dog jumping up at Lola and knocking her down the stairs.

Within the prosecution’s opening statement, Caroline Rees KC, told the court how in the early hours of the morning of July 17, 2020, Lola received a catastrophic head injury as a result of a ‘frenzied, brutal and violent attack’.

The prosecution outlined their facts of the case.

Caroline Rees KC went on to say how on the evening of July 16, 2020, Lola’s mum, Sinead James, 30, had gone to bed and left Bevan alone with Lola.

At round midnight, James heard a thump and a cry.

James went into Lola’s bedroom and found Bevan cradling Lola where he said that she had fallen from the ladder on her bunk bed and he was comforting her.

Lola’s mother went to bed, and was not awakened again until almost 7.30am the next morning, where she made a phone call to her mother and the emergency services.

It is the prosecution’s case that during this time, Bevan not only launched a “murderous attack” on the defenceless toddler, but made efforts to “cover his tracks”.

The court was shown a number of photographs of the family home, which was dirty, messy, cluttered and extremely unkempt. All except a sparkling clean bathtub, which was not in keeping with the general state of the rest of the property.

Something the prosecution says shows an intent made by Bevan to complete a clean up operation.

The prosecution claim the timeline of events can be pieced together by evidence from Bevan’s phone.

At 4.26am on the morning of July 17, 2020, Bevan took a photograph of Lola on his mobile phone, which showed her stood up and conscious, but with red marks on her back area. It is not believed Lola had sustained the head injury at this point.

At 6.33am Bevan typed the following into an internet search bar: “My 2 year old child has just taken a bang to the head and gone all limp and snoring, what’s wrong?.”

This was followed up by a screenshot from a medical website which showed symptoms of a serious head injury and where it clearly states that emergency care must be sought immediately.

Despite this warning, Bevan still made no attempts to wake James or call for an ambulance.

Bevan went on to text his mother asking her what he should do.

Distressing videos and photos that were found on Bevan’s phone, were shown to the court.

In the photos it showed Lola laying limp, appearing unconscious and with obvious swelling and bruising to her forehead and lips.

Those photographs were taken by Bevan on his mobile phone more than an hour before an ambulance was called.

In a video played to the court, Bevan can be seen recording himself on his phone lifting Lola up off the sofa and trying to get her to stand.

Lola was limp and when he let her go, she fell to the floor making an extremely loud thump.

Bevan then picked her up, placed her on the sofa, put a blanket over her midriff area of her body, before looking at the camera and saying “she’s gone”.

Despite obvious signs of Lola being seriously injured, Bevan still had not made any attempts to wake Lola’s mother Sinead James or call for medical help.

At just before 7.30am, after numerous texts between Bevan and his mother, he eventually asked her to call an ambulance, stating that he was unable to do so from his phone.

Something the prosecution denies, based on the fact he had made calls to a friend in that time period and had made several internet searches.

The court heard how Lola had 101 surface injuries on her body, including bruising to her forehead, eyes, bridge of her nose and bruising to all four of her limbs, bruised lips, bruised ears and dried blood inside them.

There were puncture marks to the side of her eyes and forehead with dried blood.

Bruised lips, bruised ears and dried blood was found inside one of them.

The injuries, the prosecution argue, are as a result of “abusive head trauma with some form of impact”.

Caroline Rees KC said: “Kyle Bevan murdered Lola by seriously assaulting her.

The injuries noted, which were caused by brutal and serious physical violence.

“Rather than face up, Bevan tried to save himself.

“Rather than call 999 immediately. He took a coward’s escape by placing false blame on the family dog.

The injuries sustained are wholly inconsistent with an accident. Instead are a result of a frenzied, brutal and violent attack at hands of someone she should have been able to trust.”

The prosecution claims that along with the medical experts that will be giving evidence in the trial in the coming weeks, will prove that these injuries are as a result of a “murderous attack” and not as a result of an accidental fall.

An outline of James and Bevan’s relationship was laid out to the court. It was described as ‘volatile’.

Caroline Rees KC, told the court how, there is no suggestion that James was involved in any way in the assault, but she did not take reasonable steps to protect Lola.

The prosecution argues that past incidents and the domestic violence that James had been subject to at the hands of Bevan were clear indicators that her children were not safe in Bevan’s hands.

An outline of previous aggressive behaviour displayed by Bevan was heard.

In the months leading up to Lola’s death, a number of injuries were noted to Lola.

Each of the injuries were explained away by Bevan’s as accidents. Explanations that were accepted by James.

However one incident which is said should have set ‘alarm bells ringing’ was an incident in which Bevan’s pushed another child into a road and said: “F**k it”.

The pram and child were retrieved by James quickly.

Caroline Rees KC said: “Messages between the couple in the months before demonstrate an escalation of abuse and aggression within the domestic home.

“Exposing [Lola] to significant risk.

“She did nothing to keep Lola safe.

“Instead she left Lola in Bevan’s sole care while she went to bed, only for the result of the tragic consequences that we know occurred.”

The case continues.

Community

Princess of Wales praised for ‘skill’ during local wool mill and factory visit

Published

5 hours ago

February 3, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Royal tour shines spotlight on west Wales textile heritage and local jobs

CATHERINE, Princess of Wales was told “she’s got the skill” after trying her hand at traditional textile work during a visit to west Wales on Tuesday (Feb 3).

The royal spent the day meeting staff and apprentices at two well-known manufacturers – Melin Tregwynt in Pembrokeshire and Hiut Denim in Cardigan – highlighting the region’s long-standing reputation for craftsmanship and small-scale, high-quality production.

Stitching and mending at historic mill

At Melin Tregwynt, a family-run woollen mill that now operates as an employee-owned trust, the princess was guided through each stage of production, from weaving to finishing.

In the quality control room she was invited to mend a blanket using a needle and thread, carefully repairing the fabric under the watchful eye of experienced staff.

Paula Harding, who has worked at the mill for more than a decade, praised her technique, saying: “She did it right – and she didn’t go through the other side. That’s skill. She’s got the skill.”

Laughing, the princess told workers: “You make it look so easy,” adding that the craft was clearly “a labour of love”.

She asked questions about the history of the business, which has produced Welsh-designed blankets and throws for more than a century, and spoke with several generations of the same families who have worked at the mill.

‘Made in Wales’ denim

Later, the princess travelled to Hiut Denim, the Cardigan-based firm credited with bringing jeans manufacturing back to the town after large factories closed in the early 2000s.

The company now focuses on small-batch, premium denim and employs skilled cutters and machinists locally.

During a tour of the factory floor, the princess tried cutting out a pair of jeans and helped stitch a “Made in Wales” label onto a finished pair that staff said would be presented to the Prince of Wales.

“He will love those,” she replied.

She joked that there was “no pressure” when handed the cutting tools and said she enjoys making clothes herself, admitting the most adventurous project she had attempted was sewing a pair of pyjamas.

The royal also stopped to greet Barney, the factory’s English cocker spaniel, drawing smiles from staff.

Meeting well-wishers

Crowds gathered outside both sites to catch a glimpse of the visitor, with the princess spending time chatting with families and children before moving on.

The visit forms part of ongoing efforts by the royal household to showcase traditional industries and skilled manufacturing across the UK, with west Wales’ textile sector recognised as a key part of the region’s heritage and economy.

For workers at both businesses, the message was simple: the spotlight on locally made products and homegrown skills was just as important as the royal presence itself.

***Local flavour: The Princess of Wales chats with staff and accepts a jar of Crwst’s Welsh honey butter before departing Cardigan following her visit to Hiut Denim (Pic: Crwst).***

Crime

Man spared jail after admitting child abuse image offences

Published

6 hours ago

February 3, 2026

Rieve Nesbitt-Marr

Police seized devices after intelligence linked Pembrokeshire address to illegal cloud storage accounts

A 23-YEAR-OLD Pembrokeshire man has avoided immediate custody after admitting making and possessing indecent images of children, including extreme bestiality material.

Ryan Beale, aged 23, appeared at Swansea Crown Court for sentencing this week.

At his first hearing, before magistrates on December 31, he entered guilty pleas and being granted conditional bail.

The court heard the case followed an intelligence-led police investigation linking Beale to a Dropbox account suspected of storing illegal material. Officers executed a warrant at his home on December 18.

During his arrest, Beale told officers: “I don’t use Dropbox,” claiming his email and Google accounts had been compromised.

However, police seized his mobile phone and computer equipment. A forensic examination found the email address connected to the Dropbox account stored on his device. Although the account had also been accessed from overseas locations, including Nigeria, investigators were satisfied it was controlled by Beale and linked to a larger cloud storage account containing significant volumes of illegal content.

Officers discovered 120 Category A images, 36 Category B images and 29 Category C images.

Category A represents the most serious level of abuse.

The material included extreme and disturbing bestiality content. Further Category C images were also located within the Dropbox account.

Two identified victims depicted in the images were girls aged nine and eleven.

Beale initially denied the allegations but later admitted the offences.

Passing sentence, at Swansea Crown Court on Tuesday (Feb 3) the His Honour Geraint Walters said: “This was not an innocent pastime. Every time an adult views that image, a child is still being abused.”

He added that an early guilty plea had spared Beale immediate custody but warned the offences would have lifelong consequences.

“The public have no time for anybody doing this,” the judge said. “If you’re doing this, the police will find out. They didn’t knock on your door randomly — they knew what they were looking for.”

Beale was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years. He must complete 20 days of rehabilitation activity and pay £300 in prosecution costs.

The court also imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, ordered the forfeiture and destruction of his electronic devices, and placed him on the Sex Offenders Register for ten years.

“If you keep yourself out of trouble, you won’t have to serve that custodial sentence,” the judge told him.

Entertainment

One Night in Dublin returns to the Torch with a brand-new show

Published

6 hours ago

February 3, 2026

Tom Sinclair

ONE NIGHT IN DUBLIN is heading back to the stage at the Torch Theatre with a lively new production fronted by renowned Irish singer Danny Muldoon.

Tickets are already selling fast for the feel-good celebration of Irish music, which promises two hours of songs, stories and plenty of craic.

Backed by an award-winning five-piece band, Muldoon leads audiences through a packed set of sing-along favourites including Galway Girl, Tell Me Ma, The Irish Rover, Dirty Old Town, Whiskey in the Jar, The Wild Rover and The Galway Shawl, along with many more well-loved classics.

The show recreates the atmosphere of a bustling Dublin pub, complete with fiddle, whistle, guitars, banjo, bodhrán, accordion and driving drums, transporting the audience straight into “Murphy’s Tavern” for an unforgettable night of live entertainment.

Fans can also expect hits from Irish legends including The Pogues, The Saw Doctors, The Dubliners, The Fureys, Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys.

One Night in Dublin comes to the Torch Theatre on Thursday, March 26 at 7:30pm.

Tickets cost £26.50. Visit the theatre website or call the Box Office on (01646) 695267 to book.