Police officers have spoken of the trauma they experienced while investigating the murder of a five-year-old boy in South Wales, as prosecutors say: “We cannot bring Logan back.”
Logan Mwangi was discovered dead in the River Ogmore in Pandy Park, Bridgend, on the morning of July 31 2021 having suffered “catastrophic” injuries.
Response officers had been called to the area by Logan’s mother Angharad Williamson, 31, who claimed Logan had gone missing.
This will live with me forever— Det Sgt Ed Griffith
The call was later revealed to be part of a plot by Williamson and her partner John Cole, 40, and a then 13-year-old boy to cover-up his killing.
A two-month trial earlier this year saw several members of the South Wales Police force take to the stand, with some breaking down in tears while they recalled the distressing scenes they witnessed.
Those who found Logan, including PC Lauren Keen who carried his body out of the river, and paramedics who treated him at the scene were said to be deeply disturbed by what was described by Detective Inspector Lianne Rees as “the most traumatic scenes imaginable”.
Detective constable Clare Edwards told the jury at Cardiff Crown Court how 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.
Det Con Edwards, an investigator and family liaison officer, said she took Williamson in to see Logan in a room in the hospital and began to cry as she described seeing a bruise above Logan’s left eye.
Detective sergeant Ed Griffith told a BBC documentary, due to air on Thursday: “This is one of the worst cases I’ve worked on.
“10 out of 10 on the scale to be honest. This will live with me forever.”
Iwan Jenkins, deputy chief crime prosecutor for CPS Cymru Wales said: “The situation is very traumatic.
“When you see a cold, calculated murder of this nature, it does impact on people, there’s no doubt about that.
This case was quite a horrific case with the injuries caused, the planning to dispose of the body, the lying to the court and the police— Iwan Jenkins, CPS
“In this particular instance, the case became difficult because not only had these people committed a horrific crime against the defenceless five-year-old child but then conspired together to dump that body in a river, lied the police by phoning them to try and put them off their tracks, continued those lies in interview which meant they were blaming each other and the picture of what actually had happened was really difficult to ascertain.
“This case was quite a horrific case with the injuries caused, the planning to dispose of the body, the lying to the court and the police previously.
“And while we are pleased that we’ve been able to bring some form of justice to the situation, the matter remains that we cannot bring Logan back.
“And as such, our thoughts are very much with Logan’s memory, and his father and families at this time.”
All three defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment on Thursday, with Cole, Williamson and the youth, who is now aged 14, receiving a minimum term of 29, 28 and 15 years respectively.
Following the sentencing, Mrs Justice Jefford said: “May I pay tribute to the police investigation as it was quite clearly conducted in the most thorough and professional manner and that should not go unrecognised.”
