By Emily Caulkett-
A mother and her boyfriend have been found guilty of murdering his partner’s two-year-old daughter after subjecting her to a “brutal” assault.
Kyle Bevan, 31, of Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, killed Lola James(pictured) while he was alone with her in July 2020. Lola’s mother Sinead James, 30, of Neyland, Pembrokeshire, was also found guilty of causing or allowing her death.
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The jury took just three hours and 39 minutes before returning unanimous verdicts against both defendants.
The young toddler had suffered a significant brain injury, and medical experts noted 101 separate injuries to her body.
Bevan, from Aberystwyth, had lied that Lola fell down the stairs after the family dog – an American bulldog – pushed her.
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The court heard Sinead James described her daughter as a “lovely little girl”.
During the trial, James called Bevan a “monster” who “needs to rot in hell”.
She said: “If I had got him out of the house my daughter would still be alive today.”
Lola died in hospital having suffered a “catastrophic” head injury. Bevan, James’s boyfriend, blamed the family dog for the death, but a jury took just over 10 hours to find him guilty of murder.
Lola’s grandmother Nicola James said the loss her family felt was “indescribable”, adding they would never get over her death.
Kyle Bevan launched the brutal attack on defenceless toddler Lola James at her home in Haverfordwest, inflicting her the kind of injuries usually found in car crash victims. He had only been in a relationship with her mum a few months after adding her on Facebook – then moving in with her in early 2020 as the country went into lockdown.
As Lola was rushed to hospital, Bevan proceeded to fabricate a story claiming the toddler had been knocked down the stairs by the family dog – despite there being a baby gate on her room – as her mother slept.
Swansea Crown Court heard Bevan told the police Lola’s injuries were caused by the family dog, an American bulldog called Jessie, which pushed her down the stairs.
Kyle Bevan was found guilty or murdering Lola in a “frenzied and brutal attack”
The prosecution said the claim was a “deliberate lie to cover up his guilt”.
Bevan had lived in the family home in Haverfordwest for four months before he killed Lola.
The court heard he used drugs including Xanax, cannabis and amphetamines, and had a volatile temper.
He subjected Lola to a “brutal” assault between the evening of 16 July and the morning of 17 July 2020.
Lola, described as a “happy, beautiful and busy little girl”, was found to have 101 cuts and bruises on her body.
She experienced head trauma likened to injuries sustained in a high velocity car crash.
Phone records show that at about 06:30 BST on 17 July, Bevan Googled: “My two-year-old child has just taken a bang to the head and gone all limp and snoring. What’s wrong?”
Bevan waited another hour before calling an ambulance.
Kyle Bevan was convicted of murdering Lola James
Paramedics found Lola lying unconscious with a swollen and bruised face when they arrived at the property, and she also appeared to be wet.
Investigators later noticed that the bath was spotlessly clean despite the rest of the house being dirty.
A vomit and blood-stained grey onesie was also found in the corner of the living room.
The prosecutor said it is believed all that was part of Kyle Bevan’s attempt to destroy evidence.
Prosecutor Caroline Rees KC told the court: “We say that, rather than face up to what he did to the little girl, Kyle Bevan immediately tried to save himself.
“Rather than immediately call the emergency services, as surely would be natural had this been an accident as he now says, he took time to concoct excuses and lies.”
Lola’s mother Sinead James was found guilty of causing or allowing her daughter’s death
Jurors were shown photographs that Bevan took of Lola’s injuries and a video he shot of her unconscious and badly injured.
In the video, a topless Bevan is seen lifting an unresponsive Lola and trying to stand her up.
He then lets her go and a thud can be heard as she falls to the ground.
Bevan then places Lola back on the sofa where she can be heard snoring, and he walks towards the camera saying: “She’s gone. She’s gone.”
Sinead James claimed she was asleep when her daughter’s injuries were caused, which was accepted by the prosecution.
But they said James should have been aware of the threat Bevan posed to Lola due to previous violent incidents against her.
James told the court she was woken by Bevan at 07:20 on 17 July, who told her Lola had fallen down the stairs. She told the court she rushed to see her daughter and saw Lola on the sofa with a swollen head and lips.
Lola had previously suffered a series of injuries in the months leading up to her death including a bloodied nose, a grazed chin and a split lip.
All of these were covered up by Bevan with a string of excuses, but the jury ruled they should have made James realise that Bevan was a threat to Lola.
James had a domestic violence advisor, to whom James never disclosed that Bevan had moved into the family home.
The prosecution’s case was that James failed to protect Lola from Bevan, ‘instead choosing to prioritise her relationship with him over her own daughter’s physical safety’.
The court heard Bevan had a ‘nasty and violent temper’ and had failed to call an ambulance immediately and instead filmed a ‘disturbing 22-second film’ of seriously injured Lola as he tried to prop her up.
The footage was taken 26 minutes after Bevan had already carried out a series of internet searches at 6.32am 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 that Lola was seriously ill.’
Bevan later messaged James to ask, ‘how are we both going to go to sleep and chill later?’, when police boarded the house as a crime scene.
The court heard Lola died from her injuries four days later at Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital in Cardiff.
Mrs Rees said: ‘Bruises were noted on Lola’s forehead. Kyle Bevan continued to try and explain things away by blaming the family dog for pushing Lola downstairs.’
The court heard doctors found 101 surface injuries on Lola including ‘bruising all over her little body and grazing of the skin.’
She also suffered extensive damage to every part of both retinas along with a catastrophic brain injury.
Photos from police crime scene investigators showed a ‘clean and shiny bath’ while the rest of the house was piled with clutter and toys.
James said Bevan told her he used to be a ‘spice head’ while also confessing to taking amphetamines, tranquilliser Xanax and cannabis.
A search of the house revealed a ‘child’s wet and vomit and blood stained grey onesie’ in the living room and curtains and a sheet in the washing machine.
The court heard Lola had suffered previous injuries when left alone with Bevan – but her mum said she had no concerns over her daughter’s safety.
She said: ‘He was really good. He would cook her dinner. He would do stuff with her. He was always buying her stuff she didn’t need but he would treat her.’
The court heard James had witnessed Bevan ‘smashing up the house’ in May 2020, after he flew into an alcohol and drugs-fuelled rage but she allowed him to stay living in the home.
The court heard Lola had previously sustained injuries including a damaged nose, black eyes and a cut lip while in Bevan’s care.
Judge Mr Justice Griffiths adjourned the sentencing for April 25 for pre-sentence reports.
He told Bevan: ‘There is only one sentence for murder and that is life imprisonment.’
James broke down in tears when the verdict was read out that she was found guilty of causing or allowing her daughter’s death.
After the trial, Lola’s grandmother Nicola James said in a statement: “My last memory with Lola is hearing her singing the song Diamonds by Rihanna.
“She will forever be our diamond up in the sky, we will never ever forget her, and we will continue to keep her memory alive.
“As a family we will never get over this, the loss that we feel is indescribable.”
Lola’s father Daniel Thomas said the pain and grief he felt was “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.”
NSPCC Cymru’s assistant director Tracey Holdsworth said a review into Lola’s death must establish whether more could have been done by agencies to save her.
“It’s crucial this leads to systemic changes that ensure children like Lola are better protected,” she said.
Bevan and James will be sentenced on 25 April.
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