Lola James: Man accused of toddler's murder claimed dog pushed child down the stairs
A man accused of murdering a two-year-old girl - found with 101 injuries - claimed the family dog pushed her down the stairs, a trial has heard.
Little Lola James died from a catastrophic brain injury after she was allegedly attacked by her mum's boyfriend Kyle Bevan, 31.
Mum Sinead James, 30, told police she was asleep when Lola suffered a series of horrific injuries - and claimed to have no reason to think Bevan would harm her.
A court heard on Wednesday (March 8) that James is accused of failing to protect her daughter when she allowed Bevan to move into their home.
Lola died just four months after he moved in from the alleged "frenzied and extremely violent attack."The court also heard that Kyle Bevan recorded a video showing Lola unconscious and told the camera, “She’s gone”.
The footage, which was shown to a jury at Swansea Crown Court on Wednesday, sees Bevan attempting to make a visibly injured Lola stand before allowing her to fall to the floor.
Prosecutor Caroline Rees KC said Bevan searched the internet for information about "babies’ sustaining head impact and loss of consciousness" on the morning of the attack on July 17, 2020.
He also took photos and a video of Lola's swollen head after her injuries. But the trial heard he waited nearly one hour before raising the alarm at the family home in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire.
Swansea Crown Court heard mum Sinead James knew her boyfriend had a "nasty and violent temper" but chose to "prioritise her relationship with him over her own daughter’s physical safety."
Mrs Rees said: "We say that although Kyle Bevan was not Lola’s father biologically, she should have been able to trust him as an adult in her home not to cause her any harm.
"We say that he seriously abused that trust. We say also that Lola should have been able to rely on her own mother to keep her safe from harm and physical risk.
"Sinead James, the prosecution say, seriously failed in her duty towards her young child."
Dog blamed for 'pushing Lola downstairs'
The court heard Bevan carried out internet searches at 6.32am before he waited until 7.28am to tell his mother Alison Bevan to call an ambulance.
Mrs Rees said: "The Prosecution say that Kyle Bevan needed that hour to concoct lies to protect himself and to come up with an excuse for how this little child had gone from being alive and well to being in such a perilous state whilst she was alone with him.
"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.
"She was unconscious, though still breathing, and her head and face were swollen.
"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 prosecution say that was a deliberate lie to cover up his guilt."
Mrs Rees said Bevan "immediately tried to save himself" instead of helping little Lola to get medical attention.
The court heard doctors at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff 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 and died four days later.
Bevan claimed Lola had two falls - the first fall when she fell from a bunk bed ladder in her room at night and the second in the morning when the dog pushed her down the stairs.
The court heard James claimed she heard a bang at midnight and found Bevan comforting Lola in her bedroom.
Mrs Rees said: "He told her Lola had hit her head. It is Sinead James’ case that she went back to sleep until she was woken by Kyle Bevan telling her Lola had fallen downstairs."
The court heard Bevan took photos of Lola at 4:26am when she was conscious and upright with an injury to her back.
Mrs Rees said expert evidence showed her fatal head injury had not yet been inflicted at that time.
James, of Neyland, denies causing or allowing the death of a child. Bevan, of Aberystwyth, denies murder.
The trial, due to last four weeks, continues.