coventry crown minutes. the 'udge here at coventry crown court — minutes. inutes. the judge here at coventry crown court hasjust _ minutes. the judge here at coventry crown court hasjust sentenced - minutes. the judge here at coventry crown court hasjust sentenced his l crown court has just sentenced his mother for the crown court has just sentenced his motherfor the murder of six—year—old mother for the murder of six—year—old arthur. motherfor the murder of six—year—old arthur. but sentencing has taken place. he has sentenced emma tustin to life in prison. a minimum term of 29 years. so, emma tustin, who carried out unimaginable cruelty on six—year—old arthur has been sentenced here at crown court to 29 years in prison. a minimum of 29 years in prison but a life sentence. thomas hughes, the father of little arthur, has also been sentenced. thejudge has sentenced him in the last couple of moments to 21 years. emma tustin, did not come up 21 years. emma tustin, did not come up from the cells today. the judge in the case here this morning as the sentencing hea

phil mackie, bbc news, coventry crown court.torm arwen downed power lines across the north of england and scotland. more than 100 soldiers were deployed to help out in aberdeenshire today and late this afternoon durham declared a serious emergency and called on the government to send troops there too as fiona trott reports. the power of storm arwen. pylons in cumbria still lying on the ground six days on. repairing them is a massive task.— massive task. the scale of devastation _ massive task. the scale of devastation is _ massive task. the scale of devastation is probably . massive task. the scale of- devastation is probably something we've never really experienced, definitely not in the 15 years i've worked in the organisation. to get a comparison, we'd have to go back to the great storm of 87. we've had over 900 instances of damage on our network, and when you look here this is one incidence of damage where you have 18 spans to repair. this is one incidence of damage where you have 18 spans to repair.— have 18 spans to repair

the judge at coventry crown court said it had been one of the most distressing cases he'd dealt with,as "spiteful and sadistic". as our home editor mark easton reports, arthur's death raises yet more questions about whether enough is being done to protect vulnerable children. arthur, are you going to play for england? i he was a football—mad little boy, with a smile that belied the truth about his life. i'm going to play for liverpool or i'm going to play for tottenham. six—year—old arthur labinjo—hughes was, in the words of the judge today, "the victim of cruel, manipulative and pitiless treatment". emma tustin and her boyfriend, thomas hughes, were todayjailed for killing little arthur. tustin was sentenced to life for murder, with a minimum of 29 years, hughes for 21 years, for manslaughter. arthur was told to sit on the thinking step. arthur's put himself all over the floor. he's banged himself on the radiator. he's hit me, he's kicked me, in the process of me trying to get him back on the thinking step. the pair lied to police as arthur lay just a few feet away, with injuries so

the judge at coventry crown court said it had been one of the most distressing cases he'd dealt with, "spiteful and sadistic". as our home editor mark easton reports, arthur's death raises yet more questions about whether enough is being done to protect vulnerable children. arthur, are you going to play for england? he was a football—mad little boy with a smile that belied the truth about his life. i'm going to play for liverpool or i'm going to play for tottenham. six—year—old arthur labinjo—hughes was, in the words of the judge today, "the victim of cruel, manipulative and pitiless treatment". emma tustin and her boyfriend thomas hughes were today jailed for killing little arthur. tustin was sentenced to life for murder with a minimum of 29 years, hughes for 21 years for manslaughter. arthur was told to sit on the thinking step. arthur's put himself all over the floor. he's banged himself on the radiator. he's hit me, he's kicked me in the process of trying to get him back on the thinking step. the pair lied to police as arthur lay just a few feet away with injuries so severe, it wa

today, at coventry crown court, they've been convicted of cruelly abusing and killing a six—year—oldr labinjo—hughes. emma tustin, arthur's step mother, was found guilty of murdering him while her partner — thomas hughes — the boy's father — was convicted of his manslaughter. his son suffered what was called an �*unsurvivable brain injury�* in june of last year. the pair carried out what was described as a "campaign of cruelty" which involved physical beatings. is partner inflicted the fatal injury. some of his suffering was filmed and this shows arthur on the day he died, so weak he could barely stand or walk. i day he died, so weak he could barely stand or walk-— stand or walk. i think they are cold, calculating, _ stand or walk. i think they are cold, calculating, systematic, | cold, calculating, systematic, torturers of the defenseless little boy. they are wicked, evil will stop is no word for them. especially your own child. in is no word for them. especially your own child. _, , is no word for them. especially your own child. u, , , . is no word for them. especially your own ch

i took place in the last ten minutes orso took place in the last ten minutes or so here at coventry crown courtaps an understatement. unimaginable cruelty that was inflicted on six—year—old author by his father and stepmother. the sentencing has concluded here at coventry crown court but tustin was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 49 years and thomas hughes, arthur's father was sentenced by the judge here to 21 years. in his sentencing remarks at the judge said, important to point out that tustin had been brought to court here today but she refused to come up here today but she refused to come up to the court room to be sentenced. the court heard that she was still in the cells but she was refusing to come up to the court and so thejudge continued refusing to come up to the court and so the judge continued in refusing to come up to the court and so thejudge continued in her absence. when he sentenced both of them he said he was going to sentence them as if she was in the courtroom but then the sentencing remarks a little earlier on the judge said that author, who was six years old, was

she was jailed for life at coventry crown court on friday. was sentenced to 21 years for manslaughter. the children's commissioner, dame rachel de souza, was asked what could have been done to help arthur. she said that authorities must "listen to children's voices" and ensure they "take decisive action" as the result ofany inquiry. the life of a child is of inestimable value and his voice was not heard and that's where we need to start. obviously there is a serious case review under way and we need to see what that says but we must take decisive action and now. my concern is that here we are, 20 years since this post was set up and we are still having these cases. there are two things that i think we absolutely have to do and do now. one is arthur raised concerns, he was not a baby, he was six years old, he raised concerns and the system did not hear him. we must listen to the voices of children. secondly, no doubt with these reviews and national reviews, it's right that they happen, they tend to make the same recommendations. my challenge t

during the trial at coventry crown court, the couple were described as �*utterly ruthless and pitilessted the family two months before arthur died. i must warn you that this report from phil mackie contains video and audio recordings of arthur which were played in court as evidence, and it is distressing. arthur labinjo—hughes had been a healthy and happy little boy, but he was subjected to months of beatings and punishments by his stepmother emma tustin and father thomas hughes. basically my six—year—old stepson has fallen and he has banged his head. 0k. and while he was on the floor he banged his head another five times. tustin lied when she dialled 999, and when the police arrived she continued trying to say that arthur's injury were self—inflicted. so you have come in, he's banged his head| three or four times here? i was in the kitchen, then i sat down in the living room and that's when he threw himself on the floor. and you heard him banging his head? i heard him bang his head. but the evidence of cruelty was undeniable. the pair had filmed some of his suffering. this shows arthu

the judge at coventry crown court said it had been one of the most distressing cases he'd dealt with,e as "spiteful and sadistic". phil mackie was in court. yes and tonight i am readings one of the messages left here it says that arthur you were so loved by the nation. that reflects the shock that lots of people have felt over the past few days as they have learned more about these terrible details of what happened to the more about these terrible details of what happened to the little more about these terrible details of what happened to the little boy. some the flower, a pact of his favourite sweet have been brought here by other children, drawn to the place where the little boy died. well, apologies for the loss of sound on that, we will come back to that report, but, let us move on that report, but, let us move on well, it emerged during the trial that arthur had been seen by social workers just two months before his death, after concerns were raised by one of his grandmothers. but they concluded there were "no safeguarding concerns". arthur's death raises yet more questions about

she was jailed for life at coventry crown court on friday.secretary dominic raab says the government will look at tougher sentencing for dealers as well as having a more health—based focus on helping addicts to get clean. it will look at everything from cracking down on, frankly, the business model that drug dealers use, the so—called county lines, so you�*ve got urban gangs but they reach out into the suburbs and into rural parts of the country. we want to be very clear on the sentences and the penalties. we don�*t think that so—called middle—class taking of cocaine is somehow ok, so, no, in that sense, we�*re going to be tough, but we are also looking at how we help addicts, drug addicts, get free of their dependencies. our political correspondent ione wells is here. tell us more about this strategy. the strategies forming part of a wider week of announcements from the about crime starting on monday with this new drug strategy and, as we understand it, it�*s going to be a twofold approach. on the one hand, the government is really keen to c

thejudge at coventry crown court said it had been one of the most distressing cases he�*d dealt withspiteful and sadistic". phil mackie was in court. today arthur was described in court as a happy, joyous and exuberant little boy. as a happy, “oyous and exuberant little bo . �* , ., as a happy, “oyous and exuberant littlebo. ., little boy. arthur, you can play for encland? little boy. arthur, you can play for england? this _ little boy. arthur, you can play for england? this is _ little boy. arthur, you can play for england? this is how— little boy. arthur, you can play for england? this is how his - little boy. arthur, you can play for england? this is how his family i england? this is how his family wanted him _ england? this is how his family wanted him to _ england? this is how his family wanted him to be _ england? this is how his family| wanted him to be remembered. england? this is how his family - wanted him to be remembered. as a football loving six—year—old and not the emaciated child who was so sick he could barely stand up. his killers and attested in thomas hughes for th

thejudge at coventry crown court said it had been one of the most distressing cases he'd dealt with and "spiteful and sadistic". phil mackie was in court. are you going to play for england, arthur? this is how his family want him to be remembered. after when i've played for liverpool, i will play for tottenham. as a football loving six—year—old and not the emaciated child who was so sick he could barely stand up. his killers, emma tustin and thomas hughes, were supposed to be looking after him. arthur was told to sit on the thinking step. he threw himself all over the floor, he's banged his head off the radiator, he's hit me, he's kicked me in the process of trying to get him back on the thinking step. while they lied to the police, arthur lay a few feet away with injuries so severe they were the equivalent of a high speed road crash. today the judge, mrjustice mark wall, said it had been "without doubt one of the most distressing and disturbing cases i have had to deal with." family members, some of whom are seen here leaving court, had been in tears as the sentence was handed down. ar

they were handed those convictions yesterday at coventry crown court., which coexists with wildlife. neither has been spared. water pans long dried up and the impact can be seen almost everywhere. this is every pastoralists wealth. this man has lost a lot of it. i40 cattle, hundreds of goats and he fears that whatever is remaining here could be lost because the drought is still ongoing, you can see this calf, she is too weak to stand up and that's why she has to be fed right here. a few times every day, neighbours helped to lift the remaining livestock, so they can stretch their already weak muscles. translation: the loss is devastating. - i can't do anything more to save them. it is god's will. ijust pray for rain to come. livestock is everything to me. he has to balance between buying food for his family and livestock whenever he gets money, mostly from well—wishers. the local chief also comes to help. he shows me where he moved ibrahim's dead livestock too. translation: ibrahim was deeply affected. i his blood pressure rose, so i took him to my house

the judge at coventry crown court said the boy led a lonely and solitary life and that the couple�*s our correspondent helena wilkinson was at the court — and just to warn you, some of the details she gave us are distressing. the judge today, when he sentenced tustin and hughes, and important to point out tustin was brought to the court here, however she refused to come to the courtroom to be sentenced. she remained in the cells but the judge continued as if she was in the courtroom when he sentenced the pair today. the judge said the case was one of the most distressing and disturbing that he had ever dealt with. he said neither defendant had shown any remorse for their behaviour and that their behaviour was spiteful and sadistic. he also said one of the most troubling aspects of this case was that tustin�*s own two children he said lived a perfectly happy life in that house just yards from where arthur was subjected to unthinkable abuse. he said to tustin that she was a manipulative women, and as you say today he has sentenced her to life in prison with a minimum term of 29 years.

phil mackie was at coventry crown court throughout the trial and said everyone listening had been affectedave heard and seen has been the most extreme discussing nature. when i was following court proceedings they were running through the hundreds of audio recordings that emma made of arthur which was sent to thomas hughes. most of those were of him crying. they were all of him crying and crying out. it was so hard to listen to. i simply had to leave. i have never done that before in any court case i've ever covered. that cherries themselves had to endure that as had the police officers who had to prosecute the case and the relatives of arthur who had been present during court. we have heard and seen him about evidence as well. within the past couple of hours, germany's angela merkel has been given a ceremonial send—off after 16 years in office. it comes days before germany's parliament is due to officially elect social democat 0laf scholz as her successor as chancellor. today's military ceremony, known as a "grosser zapfenstreich", is the highest tribute paid by the german army. angela me

during the trial at coventry crown court, the couple were described as �*utterly ruthless and pitilessof social workers, who'd visited the family two months before arthur died. i must warn you that this report from phil mackie contains video and audio recordings of arthur which were played in court as evidence; and it is distressing. arthur labinjo—hughes had been a healthy and happy little boy, but he was subjected to months of beatings and punishments by his stepmother emma tustin and father thomas hughes. basically my six—year—old stepson has fallen and he has banged his head. 0k. and while he was on the floor he banged his head another five times. tustin lied when she dialled 999, and when the police arrived she continued trying to say that arthur's injury were self—inflicted. so you have come in, he's banged his head| three or four times here? i was in the kitchen, then i sat down in the living room and that's when he threw himself on the floor. and you heard him banging his head? i heard him bang his head. but the evidence of cruelty was undeniable. the pair had filmed some of hi