Mother Attends Son's Inquest From Prison
Angharad Williamson, 34, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of her five-year-old son Logan Mwangi, participated in his inquest via a secure video link from HMP Downview in Surrey. She was accompanied by a prison mental health officer during the hearing at Pontypridd Coroner's Court on Wednesday.
Logan's body was discovered in the River Ogmore near the family home in Sarn, Bridgend, in July 2021. He had sustained 56 external injuries, a torn liver, and brain trauma. The court previously heard that he had been subjected to relentless abuse while under the care of social services.
Previous Injuries and Convictions
In the months leading up to his death, Logan suffered a broken arm, a broken collarbone, and a burn wound on his neck caused by Williamson pressing a hot teaspoon to his skin. Despite these injuries, authorities did not raise significant concerns. Williamson's former partner, John Cole, 41, and stepson Craig Mulligan, 14, were also convicted of Logan's murder. Cole disposed of the body in the river, a location he used for fly-tipping.
Williamson denied murder, claiming she was asleep when Logan's body was taken to the river. However, evidence at her trial showed she was active on her phone and turning lights on and off during the night. Her appeal against conviction was dismissed in January 2023.
Inquest Proceedings and Appeal Efforts
The pre-inquest review, led by coroner David Regan, was largely administrative and attended by representatives from local health authorities, social services, and South Wales Police. The hearing was conducted both in court and via Microsoft Teams. A further hearing is scheduled for November.
Williamson has requested former senior police officer Tony Thompson to attend as a lay person to review her conviction and explore a potential appeal to the Criminal Cases Review Board. Thompson stated he is working pro bono on the investigation.
Details of Abuse Revealed at Trial
The nine-week trial in 2022 revealed that Logan was confined to his small bedroom with a locked child gate after testing positive for Covid-19. He was punished for attempting to leave, and would self-harm by biting himself until he bled. Prosecutor Caroline Rees KC described Logan as being "kept like a prisoner" and "dehumanised by each of the defendants."
Logan had been on the child protection register for seven months before his death but was downgraded from "child in protection" to "child in need" weeks before his murder. Ms Rees called Williamson "a liar" who "tried to portray herself as a loving mother," adding that Williamson's only protective interest was in herself.
Medical experts compared Logan's injuries to those from a "fall from a great height" or a "high-velocity road traffic collision." All three defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment.
