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Sinead James: ‘I heard a loud bang and a scream from Lola at around midnight’

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“I WISH i did everything different, i wish i never had him in my house, i wish i never met him.”

These are the words sobbed by Sinead James in the witness box at Swansea Crown Court on Tuesday (Mar 28).

Lola’s mother, Sinead James, 30, was the first defence witness to take to the stand in the murder trial of two-year-old Lola James from Haverfordwest.

James is accused of allowing or causing the death of her child, by failing to protect Lola from murder-accused Kyle Bevan, 31.

The court heard how James had very little experience of relationships that did not involve domestic violence, citing that two out of her three children’s fathers had been verbally and physically violent towards her.

This was backed up with evidence provided to the court last week from health visitors, social services and medical doctors.

In January 2020, James ended the relationship with her former partner, a man who was physically and emotionally violent towards her. Following the breakdown of this relationship, James sought mental health help from her doctor and was prescribed an antidepressant.

The following month, James entered a new relationship with Kyle Bevan, one that progressed extremely quickly – with Bevan living at her residence full-time within a month.

The court heard how James had interventions from social services shortly after the birth of her first child, and had attended a number of courses, namely the freedom course, which offers victims of domestic violence better understanding of abusive situations and how best to protect both herself and children.

This course was offered again following the breakdown of her previous relationship.

James admitted to the court that although she attended a few of the classes, she quickly realised that the materials were that of the same of the one she had previously completed so saw no need to carry on.

James described her relationship with Bevan, stating that the first couple of months were brilliant, but then things started to change.

The court heard of a number of incidents in the lead up to Lola’s death where Bevan had been verbally abusive and smashing up the family home, punching headbutting door frames and the sofa, and an incident where the defendant smashed a light switch with a hammer.

When asked whether James thought that the children were in any danger following these incidents, James replied that she never had any concerns for the children’s safety as Bevan hadn’t physically assaulted her like her previous partners so she did not consider the relationship one of domestic violence.

This is something that the Crown Prosecution argues should have set off alarm bells.

Caroline Rees KC, brought up all the accounts of Bevan smashing up the house, shouting in James face, punching door frames, sofas and smashing the light switch with a hammer.

Ms Rees asked the defendant if any of these occasions gave her any concerns.

She said: “Looking back to past relationships that were abusive and violent, and you had interventions to help, with various agencies working with you to teach you spot patterns of domestic relationships.

“One point of those is to stop you falling into those patterns and protect the children – did you learn?”

James replied : “No obviously not, I didn’t think Kyle would end up like this, I didn’t think my child would end up dead either.”

The court heard how the day before Lola’s fatal accident, James had spoken to her domestic violence officer and a suggestion was made to her to check Bevan’s name under Clare’s Law.

This was a subject that was broached by James with Bevan, however he refused to engage with the proceedings by withholding his date of birth.

Something the prosecution argued should have been a red flag.

On the night of July 16, James went to bed at around 8pm, leaving Bevan downstairs with two of her children.

James described being awoken by a loud bang and a scream from Lola at around midnight.

The defendant got up to investigate, however she found Bevan sat on Lola’s bed cradling her. Bevan told James that Lola had fallen from the ladder of the bunk bed and had banged her head and that he was dealing with it.

She went to the toilet and upon leaving the bathroom, she saw Lola laying in her bed, cuddling a Moana teddy and she reported she said: “Night mummy, love you.”

James claims she saw no visible injuries to Lola’s head or face at this time, despite the fact that she did not enter the bedroom.

James told the court how at the time, she believed Bevan’s explanations for the injuries to her children in the weeks leading up to Lola’s – all of which were explained away as the dog knocking the children over or clumsy play.

However in hindsight, she agrees that there was a pattern that she should have spotted.

The defendant added: “Yeah, but you don’t realise how hard it is when you’re going through it.

“I didn’t see it as a domestic violence relationship until the day my daughter was brought to hospital.

“The domestic violence I’m used to is getting beaten while you’re sleeping.”

James told the court how Bevan had promised to protect her and her children from her former partner who had made threats to come to her home and kill her in front of her children.

She said: “I’m petrified of every man, not just him, he said he would protect me and my children as Stephen had threatened to come to my house and kill me in front of my children.”

James sobbed in the witness box: “He never protected me or them, he killed my child.

“I wish i did everything different, i wish i never had him in my house, i wish i never met him.”

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Closure of Tata Steel’s coke ovens sparks political and union backlash

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THE recent announcement by Tata Steel to close the coke ovens at its Port Talbot plant in South Wales has ignited a firestorm of political and industrial action, highlighting the deepening crisis within the British steel industry and the challenges facing the transition to green steel.

Jo Stevens MP, the Shadow Welsh Secretary, expressed her concerns over the impact of the closure on the Welsh steel industry and the workers affected. Stevens emphasized the need for assurances about the workers’ immediate future and pledged that a UK Labour government would invest in the steel industry to support the transition to green steel, harnessing the skills, talent, and ambition of Welsh steelworkers.

The closure, slated for Wednesday due to concerns over the ovens’ “operational stability,” has been criticized by regional Senedd Members for South Wales West, Tom Giffard MS, and Dr. Altaf Hussain MS. They accused the Labour Welsh Government of neglecting its support for the Tata Steelworks in Port Talbot, highlighting a lack of financial assistance since 2019 and calling for a change in response to the current developments.

Unite, the UK’s leading union, has been vocal in its opposition to Tata’s decision, describing it as a shock and a “result of years of betrayal.” The union criticized Tata for not disclosing the imminent risk of closure during recent consultations and announced a ballot for industrial action among 1,500 Tata workers. Unite insists there should be no job losses at Port Talbot or Llanwern and that a blast furnace should remain operational.

Peter Hughes, Unite’s regional secretary for Wales, called for Tata to halt its closure plans in anticipation of Labour’s promised £3 billion investment to rejuvenate the UK steel industry. He accused Tata of managing the decline of UK steel while accepting government subsidies, describing the company’s actions as “deliberate industrial vandalism.”

The closure has not only raised concerns about the future of steel production in the UK but also spotlighted the political and economic strategies required to ensure the industry’s survival and transition towards more sustainable practices. The unfolding situation underscores the need for a collaborative approach between the government, industry stakeholders, and the workforce to navigate the complex challenges ahead.

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Firefighters tackle blaze at block of garages in Monkton

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ONE person was injured as a result of a sunday afternoon garage fire in a block of garages in Monkton.

A spokesperson for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service told The Pembrokeshire Herald said: “At 1.31pm on March 17, Pembroke Dock and Milford Haven crews were called to extinguish a fire in an alight central garage and were forced to use two breathing apparatus and two hose reels.

“The firefighters reportedly left the scene at 3.02pm after continuing to dampen the fire and check for fire spread.

“The casualty was treated by ambulance service personnel also in attendance.”

The police confirmed that a garage fire had been dealt with by Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and Welsh Ambulance Service attended.

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Air ambulance called following incident at Aldi Pembroke Dock

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THE WALES AIR AMBULANCE, along with the Welsh Ambulance Service and police were called on Monday morning to an incident at the Aldi supermarket car park in Pembroke Dock.

The Herald understands that the alarm was raised after a car hit a person in the car park after 9am.

We have been told that the incident involved a local taxi.

The emergency services have been asked for a comment.

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