Detective cries as she recalls moment she saw body of boy found dead in river

Logan Mwangi, five, was discovered in the River Ogmore in Bridgend on July 31 2021.

(Ben Birchall/PA) (PA Archive)

A detective has broken down in tears as she described the moment she saw the body of a five-year-old boy who had been found dead in a river in South Wales.

Logan Mwangi, also known as Logan Williamson, was discovered 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.

He boy had suffered more than 56 injuries to his head and body, with a pathologist describing them as “so extreme you would expect to find them as a result of a fall from a great height or a high-velocity road traffic accident”.

Detective Constable Clare Edwards told a jury at Cardiff Crown Court on Wednesday that she had gone to the Prince of Wales Hospital in Bridgend that morning where Logan had been taken, to get a first account from Logan’s mother Angharad Williamson.

Williamson is on trial for Logan’s murder along with his stepfather John Cole and a 14-year-old boy.

DC Edwards, an investigator and family liaison officer with South Wales Police, told the court she took Williamson in to see Logan in a room in the hospital.

As prosecutor Caroline Rees QC asked her if she could recall how Logan’s face had appeared, the detective began to cry, taking a moment to gather herself as she reached for a tissue and some water.

Wiping away her tears, she said: “Yes, there was bruising above his left eye.”

During questioning, Williamson told her the only injury she could remember Logan having before that morning was a graze on his arm.

DC Edwards, her colleague Detective Constable Clair Griffiths and the two nurses who were in the room have all said that although Williamson seemed “distressed” and was “wailing” she appeared not to cry.

Sarah-Lee Thorne, a senior nurse of 25 years, told the jury: “When she first walked into the room she was very distressed. Her legs were giving way and I had to get a chair for her to sit on. She was wailing, she was crying, but there were no tears.

“I never, ever saw tears the whole time I was with her.”

Ms Thorne and another nurse, Rosie O’Neill, said they spent around eight to nine hours with Williamson between 7am and 2.15pm when Logan was eventually taken down to the morgue.

Ms O’Neill said: “Angharad was wailing and she said, ‘my baby, my baby’. She also told me, ‘I wish I taught him how to swim, he should’ve had swimming lessons’.

“She then asked Sarah Thorne why Logan was wet and Sarah said Logan was found in the river.”

The court heard that Williamson appeared shocked and told Ms Thorne: “You’re the only person who’s told me that, thank you.”

Asked whether Williamson had shown affection to Logan, Ms O’Neill said: “At first no. She seemed quite nervous to touch him. Her hands were hovering over his body.

“Rhiannon, Angharad’s friend, was more comforting towards Logan.

“At one point before she went to kiss his head she looked at me and it felt like she was looking to check I was watching.”

Williamson was asked by DC Edwards and Ms Thorne to leave the room to discuss the hours leading up to Logan’s death, the court was told.

On returning to the room Williamson was said to have started behaving differently.

Ms O’Neill said: “Her demeanour had changed, almost like something had switched. She was quite aggressive and had a nasty streak about her. She was quite nasty to Rhiannon.”

Ms O’Neill and Ms Thorne said they had given her a Wish Upon A Star box for bereaved parents which contained two small elephant cuddly toys, one which was meant to stay with Logan, with the other to be kept by Williamson and the family.

But they said Williamson dropped the toy on the floor and did not pick it up.

Ms Thorne said she told Williamson she had put contact numbers in the box in case she wanted to speak to them, but Williamson replied: “Why would I want to talk to you?”

“She wasn’t very nice,” Ms Thorne said. “She changed after being questioned by police.

“It was a little bit odd. Normally parents are very grateful for the time we’ve spent with them.

“Then she just left. She didn’t even say goodbye.”

Williamson was given the option to walk with Logan as he was wheeled down to the morgue but she told DC Edwards she “could not face it” and asked to be taken home.

Defending Williamson, Peter Rouch QC suggested to Ms O’Neill that everyone behaved differently in such situations and his client’s change in attitude could have been the result of becoming frustrated with the police who she had been talking to since the early morning.

Mr Rouch also noted she had asked detectives to do everything they could to find out what had happened, asked nurses to stay with Logan and had spoken of returning when she was allowed to dress her son in his favourite clothes.

A statement from Pc Joshua Jones, one of the officers who drove Williamson to the hospital, was read to the court.

He said Williamson had been “heaving and sick” on the journey, and told her friend Rhiannon Hales, who accompanied her: “Police have it all wrong and the young male in the hospital is not my son Logan.”

On arriving at the hospital, Pc Jones said: “Angharad became more upset as we were approaching the door.

“Nurse Sarah Thorne confirmed her son to be the male in the hospital. Angharad broke down and began to cry hysterically.”

All three defendants are also charged with perverting the course of justice, while Williamson and Cole face a third charge of causing or allowing the death of a child.