Father of toddler murdered by ex’s new partner ‘prays’ killer ‘suffers until their last breath’

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The father of a murdered toddler has spoken of the “unbearable pain” of his daughter’s death as her stepfather was found guilty of her brutal killing.

Lola James died in hospital four days after she suffered “catastrophic” brain injuries in the early hours of 17 July 2020. She was found to have sustained more than 100 bruises and scratches to her body, and damage to both her eyes.

Lola’s stepfather, Kyle Bevan, was found guilty of her murder at Swansea Crown Court on Tuesday, while Lola’s mother, Sinead James, was convicted of causing or allowing her death.

Her father Daniel Thomas described the “pain and grief” of his two year-old’s death as “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,” he said in a statement released by Dyfed-Powys Police.

“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.”

Mr Thomas thanked the investigation team and support officers for “guiding me through the darkest hours”.

He continued: “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.”

Bevan had denied murdering the youngster a few months after moving in with the family in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, claiming Lola had fallen down the stairs after being jumped on by the pet dog.

During the four-week trial prosecutor, Caroline Rees KC, said Bevan, a self-confessed “spice head”, had launched a “murderous” attack on Lola and used the moments after to cover his tracks, meaning it was an hour before the alarm was raised.

The court heard Lola had previously sustained injuries, including a damaged nose, black eyes and a cut lip while in Bevan’s care.

As she was hospitalised, Bevan told paramedics and police that he believed Lola had been pushed down the stairs by their dog, telling officers that he felt only partly responsible because he was making her a bowl of cereal at the time.

It was accepted that mother-of-three James was asleep at the time and did not take part in the vicious assault that led to her daughter’s death.

But it was the prosecution’s case that James, a previous victim of domestic violence, failed to protect Lola from Bevan, “instead choosing to prioritise her relationship with him over her own daughter’s physical safety”.

James said Bevan woke her up at 7.20am – nearly 50 minutes after he began searching the internet for information about babies sustaining head impacts, and nine minutes before Bevan’s mother, who he had contacted for help, called for an ambulance.

Three medical experts called to give evidence at the trial were all in agreement that the level of injuries Lola had sustained were not consistent with a fall down carpeted stairs.

The court heard that James and Bevan met online in February 2020 and were soon living together as the country went into lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic, with Bevan taking on parenting duties. Lola died four months later.

The pair will be sentenced on 25 April.

Nicola James, Lola’s maternal grandmother, said in a statement after the guilty verdicts: “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.

“We write her letters, and we talk to her in the sky at night. As a family we will never get over this, the loss that we feel is indescribable. We haven’t begun to process all of this, and don’t know how we ever will.

“Lola we love you, we will always love you, and we will miss you forever.”