Woman accused of murdering stepson 'couldn't be bothered'

Emma Tustin, who says Arthur Labinjo-Hughes caused his own death, rejected claims that she felt hatred towards the youngster, and denied she had taken pleasure in reducing him to a state of physical "ruin".

In the sixth week of her trial at Coventry Crown Court, Tustin was asked by prosecutor Jonas Hankin QC to watch a video she filmed of Arthur slapping his own face and kicking himself in the head.

Prosecutors allege Arthur died due to a fatal assault by 32-year-old Tustin at her home in Cranmore Road, Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands, in June 2020.

Tustin's partner, 29-year-old Thomas Hughes, is also accused of murdering Arthur, who jurors have heard was made to sleep on the lounge floor after allegedly being subjected to months of cruelty and abuse.

Giving evidence from the witness box for a fourth day on Friday, Tustin told Mr Hankin she did not consider herself "responsible in any way" for causing Arthur's death.

Mr Hankin then asked Tustin: "Your mother and stepfather made an anonymous referral to social services as they felt that Arthur was in danger.

"Why didn't you do anything to protect Arthur if you thought he was in danger?"

Tustin replied: "I was living in that situation. I knew he (Hughes) would have found out it was me that did it (contacted social services) and I was scared for myself."

Asked why she had subjected Arthur over a period of months to a "campaign of cruelty", Tustin said: "I can't tell you why I did that - things got tough."

Mr Hankin then asked who things had got tough for.

Tustin answered: "For me, for Tom, for Arthur."

After pointing out that Arthur had come third in her list, Mr Hankin asked Tustin if "me first" would be a good catchphrase for her.

Tustin answered: "No, I struggled."

Mr Hankin then invited Tustin to view a video she filmed in which Arthur could be seen repeatedly striking himself in the face.

Asked how she had felt while watching Arthur hurt himself, Tustin told the court: "I was living in that situation. I thought Arthur was just generally being a naughty child.

"I didn't know what I was feeling. I was tired."

Mr Hankin then told Tustin: "Can I make a suggestion. Hatred?"

Tustin answered: "I was wrong for the way that I treated him but I didn't hate him."

Mr Hankin continued: "Those abnormal behaviours that he was demonstrating, do you agree that they were the product of your cruelty rather than the result of any pre-existing cause?"

Tustin responded: "I think it added on to it, yes."

Mr Hankin then asked: "Did it cross your mind - have I driven this little boy to this?"

Tustin replied: "At that point not."

Answering further questions, she acknowledged the video clip showed she had remained silent and ignored Arthur when he said he wanted to go to the doctor.

Tustin added: "I recorded it to show his dad what he was doing. All I was doing was covering my own back.

"I hadn't hit him and he was saying that I was."

Mr Hankin asserted that what Tustin had done was contrary to every conceivable rule of caring for a child, before asking her if she had actually enjoyed making Arthur suffer.

Denying she had enjoyed mistreating Arthur, Tustin conceded: "At that time I did disregard him. I didn't communicate with him. I didn't give him any time.

"I gave up on him."

She then told the court she would have taken another child to see a doctor if they had been "reduced to a state of physical and mental exhaustion" and had collapsed.

Mr Hankin asked: "Why did you not do that for Arthur?"

Tustin replied: "I couldn't be bothered with the daily stress that he was causing."

After reiterating that she had not taken any pleasure from being cruel towards Arthur, Tustin was asked if she had done things that were intended to "maximise his suffering".

Tustin asserted: "No I did not. I just ignored him."

In earlier evidence to the court, Tustin said she was sitting on a sofa when she heard a bang from the stairs and hallway of her home, and had then found Arthur suffering from a head injury.

Both defendants deny murder and cruelty charges.

The trial continues.