An evil drug-taking stepfather with a 'Jekyll and Hyde' temper has been convicted for the murder of his partner's innocent two-year-old daughter. Kyle Bevan brutally attacked little Lola James at her home in Haverfordwest and left her with 101 'car crash-like injuries', including 'bruising all over her little body and grazing of the skin', Swansea Crown Court heard.
The defenceless toddler sadly passed away in hospital four days later after suffering 'catastrophic' brain injuries in the early hours of July 17, 2020. Bevan denied murdering the youngster four months after he moved in with the family in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, the Mirror reports.
He instead claimed she had fallen down the stairs after being jumped on by the family's American bulldog but today a jury at Swansea Crown Court found the 31-year-old guilty of murder. Lola's mother, Sinead James, denied causing or allowing her death to happen but she was also found guilty after the four-week trial.
It was earlier accepted she had been asleep at the time of the assault and did not take part in the attack which led to her daughter's death. The court heard the most likely cause of Lola's brain injuries was shaking while she also suffered 'gripping' injuries to her neck.
Prosecutor Caroline Rees KC said Bevan, a self-confessed 'spice head', launched a 'murderous' attack on the toddler and used the hours afterwards to cover up his tracks instead of phoning for an ambulance. The prosecution also argued that James, who was a previous victim of domestic violence, failed to protect her daughter from Bevan and 'instead chose to prioritise her relationship with him over her own daughter's physical safety'.
The court heard doctors found over one hundred injuries on Lola that resembled the type of severe wounds you'd expect to see on a car crash victim. The tot also suffered extensive damage to every part of both retinas along with a catastrophic brain injury.
During the trial, Bevan's police interviews were read out to the court. In one, he said of Lola: “She’s a nutcase, an idiot. We’re testing her for ADHD and autism, she’s got no fear man.
“She always falls and smacks her face or lacks awareness. It always happens to her and she’s too small like…
"She’s only two and she’s made of steel man. That bruise on her nose was healing very well, I have seen adults healing not so quickly, fair play to her like.”
Before Lola's death, Facebook messages exchanged between the couple revealed that the child had suffered a number of injuries in the past while in Bevan's care. Bevan, who is said to have used drugs including Xanax, cannabis and amphetamines and had a volatile temper, said in a message: "I feel like a monster."
The court had earlier heard that Bevan didn't call for an ambulance after the attack and instead filmed a 'disturbing 22 second film' of Lola as he tried to prop her up, despite her horrific injuries. The footage was taken 26 minutes after Bevan had already carried out a series of internet searches at 6:23am on July 17, 2020.
One search said: "My two year old child has just taken a bang to the head and gone all limp and snoring. What’s wrong."
Prosecutor Caroline Rees KC said: "He needed the time to cover his tracks. When paramedics arrived they found that Lola had been dressed but was wet and Lola was seriously ill."
Bevan told the paramedics: "I think the dog tripped her over." The trial had earlier heard from neuroradiologist Dr Neil Stoodley who confirmed that an area of bleeding was discovered in Lola's brain between the dura layer, which is closer to the skull and the arachnoid, in the next layer down.
The medical professional said that nothing would be found between those two layers in a healthy person or child and that the bleeding and brain injury detected on Lola was 'unequivocally recent'. He also stated hat it was unlikely the injuries could have been caused by an accidental fall down the stairs. and suggested that shaking or slaps 'could be a possible mechanism' to explain the abnormalities.
He added: "In terms of impact injury that might occur to a child in an impact setting in the home I would not expect to see subdural bleeding as a result of such injuries. When we do see it on scans and when we know absolutely what has happened to the child, we would only see a small amount of bleeding at a single site, not at several different sites as was seen on Lola's scan."
Lola James' heartbroken biological father Daniel Thomas issued a statement released through Dyfed-Powys Police, which 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 in a statement she would miss little Lola 'forever'. She added: "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. She (Lola) will forever be our diamond up in the sky, we will never ever forget her, and we will continue to keep her memory alive."
Bevan and James will be sentenced on April 25.
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