A mother accused of murdering her five-year-old son Logan Mwangi was ‘sarcastic’ with detectives questioning her in the hospital about the tragedy, a court has heard.
Logan was found dead in the River Ogmore in Pandy Park, around 250 metres from the flat where he lived with his family in Lower Llansantffraid, Sarn, Bridgend on the morning of July 31, 2021.
His mother Angharad Williamson, 30, is on trial at Cardiff Crown Court with her partner John Cole, 40, and a 14-year-old boy accused of killing him.
All three deny murdering the five-year-old, who jury members were told was found dumped like ‘fly-tipped rubbish’ beside the river having suffered 56 injuries to his head, face, torso, arms and legs.
Cardiff Crown Court heard today that Williamson attended hospital with police to see Logan’s body after his death along with her mum and a friend. She was speaking with investigators just hours after son was pulled from a river near his home.
The court heard detectives were trying to find out how Logan had died when Williamson was ‘distressed’ but not tearful.
Detective constable Clair Griffiths said Williamson said the family had problems locking the back door at the family home in Sarn, Bridgend, but when pressed for more detail she became confrontational.
DC Griffiths said Williamson told her: ‘At one point she was quite sarcastic and said if she knew she had to remember all this detail she would have taken notes.’
Logan Mwangi’s mother Angharad Williamson, 30, (left) is on trial at Cardiff Crown Court with her partner John Cole (right), 40, and a 14-year-old boy accused of killing him
Logan (pictured) was found dead in the River Ogmore in Pandy Park, around 250 metres from the flat where he lived with his family in Lower Llansantffraid, Sarn, Bridgend on the morning of July 31, 2021
Police and forensic officers at the scene of the alleged murder last year
DC Griffiths said Williamson told her Logan had a bath the night before his alleged murder and watched Pokemon in her bedroom.
She said Williamson told her: ‘He would never leave the house alone. He’s a very good boy.’
The officer said she asked Williamson if Logan had any injuries on his body the night before he disappeared but was only told of a graze on his elbow.
Asked if she saw any injuries, DC Griffiths said she saw a bruise above Logan’s eye and a ‘large circular bruise’ to his stomach.
Cardiff Crown Court previously heard Logan was found to have 56 external injuries as well as having suffered trauma to the brain and internal injuries to his liver, small intestine and bowel.
Another police officer said that although Williamson made ‘crying and sobbing sounds’ at the hospital she never saw the mother cry.
Detective constable Clare Edwards said: ‘She made sounds of crying or sobbing but there were no tears.
Williamson (pictured with her son Logan) denies murdering the five-year-old
Cardiff Crown Court heard today that Williamson attended hospital with police to see Logan’s (pictured) body after his death along with her mum and a friend. She was speaking with investigators just hours after son was pulled from a river near his home
‘Her mother and friend has tears streaming down her face but we didn’t see that with Angharad.’
The court also heard how Williamson became ‘aggressive’ in the room where Logan lay dead, according to a hospital nurse.
Nurse Rosie O’Neill said she spent around nine hours with Williamson to comfort her following her son’s death.
Miss O’Neill said Williamson had initially been friendly with health workers but after being questioned by detectives her demeanour changed.
She said: ‘It was almost like something changed. She was quite aggressive with a nasty streak about her.’
The nurse told the jury Williamson didn’t touch her son throughout until she later gave him a kiss on his forehead.
She said: ‘She seemed frightened to touch him. Her hands were hovering above his body never touching him.
‘She went to kiss his forehead but she was looking at me – but I felt she made sure I was watching and I could see that she was being affectionate to Logan.’
Police and forensic officers at the scene of the alleged murder last year
Miss O’Neill said that while in the room Williamson said: ‘Why didn’t I teach him to swim’ before being told by another nurse that he was found dead in the river and exclaiming: “You’re the first person to tell me that.”
Williamson denies any involvement in her son’s death saying she slept the whole night through and woke to find him missing.
Cole and the youth are accused of moving Logan’s body to the river while Williamson allegedly tried to remove incriminating evidence from the house and wash bloodstained bedsheets.
Williamson and Cole appeared in the dock at Cardiff Crown Court while the youngster appeared via videolink from another room inside the court building.
Williamson and the youth deny murder and perverting the course of justice. Cole denies murder but admits perverting the course of justice.
Williamson and Cole deny causing or allowing the death of a child.
The trial continues.
