Craig Mulligan has been described as a “monster” who had repeatedly threatened to kill his young step-brother and shouted happily for his love of harming young children. He was just 13 years old when he took part in the deadly attack, which he carried out with his father John Cole, 40, before throwing the body of the young man in the Ogmore River, Bridget, South Wales. Cole was informed by a judge in a Cardiff court that he would spend at least 29 years behind bars. Logan’s biological mother, Angharad Williamson, 31, who was also convicted, was told she would serve at least 28 years in custody. Mulligan had moved into the house in Lower Llansantffraid, Sarn, just five days before the murder – a fact that prosecutors said was not accidental. Cole’s adopted son, who had raised him for nine months, Mulligan is said to have “seen” him and seen him as a “God-like” figure. Cole had an affair with Mulligan’s mother and later became her caregiver. The three moved to Wales for a “fresh start” after repeated attempts by Mulligan’s mother to commit suicide. They later divorced, but remained in the same house as Mulligan, even when Cole began dating Angharad Williamson, who later became pregnant. Caroline Rees QC, who is prosecuting, said Mulligan was already “a complex, troubled and violent boy” at the time. He was placed with foster families, one of whom described how he made their lives “living hell” for the several weeks he lived with them, and they “scared” him. They said he made repeated threats to kill them, injuring their daughter and foster mother and their dog. Concerns were raised when he asked two young girls if they wanted to play a “killing game” and said they should put them in black bucket bags. Although he spoke lovingly of his stepfather, stepmother and younger brother, the family said they noticed he would only refer to Logan as “the five-year-old” and said he wanted to “kill the five-year-old”. They said he had a “desire for violence” and called him a “monster” in court appearances. Cole and Williamson applied to the family courts to have custody of Mulligan and on July 26, 2021 they won and came to live with them. Mulligan is said to have loved the youngest of his half-brothers, but was jealous and disliked Logan. Mulligan was big for his age and was interested in mixed martial arts, especially Muay Thai, as well as video games – his username was “King hulk”. Shortly before 3 a.m. Saturday, July 31, Mulligan was filmed by CCTV following Cole out of the apartment and down the river where Logan’s body was dumped. He also participated in a visible, fake investigation into Logan as part of the family cover-up. Mulligan was arrested around 6:30 p.m. on August 1, 2021 with Williamson in the possession of Cole. In the interview, he claimed that he did not know what had happened to Logan, but later admitted that he woke up to hearing Williamson say “Logan is dead.” After being informed by detectives of Williamson’s allegations that he and Cole had attacked Logan, Mulligan said: “You can tell my mom to get rid of me. She blames me and my dad for everything.” After Logan was killed and Mulligan was once again under the care of the local authority, a caretaker heard him sing repeatedly: “I love children. I love children. I like punching children in the head. It’s an orgasm. “ He said to another, “I did some bad things, but I’m not allowed to talk about it.” During the trial, Mulligan was ordered to remain anonymous, preventing him from giving any details that could identify him. His counselor said Mulligan had been diagnosed with multiple neurodevelopmental disorders. The Ogmore River in Sarn, Bridgend, Wales, where the body of five-year-old Logan Mwangi was discovered (PA) Following his conviction and imprisonment for murder and distortion of justice, the press successfully applied for the lifting of the restriction for reasons of public interest and open justice. Logan suffered 56 “catastrophic” external injuries similar to those found in a high-speed collision or fall from a height, according to the court. During Thursday’s sentencing, Ms Jeffford said: “To inflict these injuries on a small, defenseless five-year-old is nothing short of horrific.” Both Williamson and Mulligan pleaded guilty to a further charge of perverting the course of justice – an offense that Cole had pleaded guilty to before trial. Angharad Williamson, 31, and John Cole, 40, convicted in Cardiff Crown court (South Wales Police) The young man, described as a “smiling, happy little boy”, was found by police in the river on the morning of July 31, 2021, partially submerged and dressed in dinosaur pajamas and a Spider-Man T-shirt. According to experts, Logan’s injuries could only be the result of a “violent and prolonged attack” in the hours or days before his death. They also said the injuries were “according to child abuse”. Prosecutors told the court that Logan had been “dehumanized” by his family in the months and weeks before his death. The five-year-old’s stuttering reportedly worsened, and he became particularly bad around Cole. He also got wet more often and started injuring himself. Prosecutors say Logan, 5, was held “like a prisoner” in his bedroom – a room his mother likened to a “dungeon”. (PA) Friends of the couple said Cole told them he did not like Logan and others said his attitude changed after he became obsessed with the idea that Williamson had cheated on Logan’s father, Ben Muang. After Williamson gave birth to his own child, Cole was reluctant to let Logan see the baby and later claimed the boy had tried to strangle the baby. Doctors were referred to the police after Logan suffered a broken arm in August 2020. Councilor Hu David, leader of Bridget County, said: “The death of five-year-old Logan Mwangi was a deeply sad and tragic event that has affected everyone living in Bridget County. A memorial garden at Tondu Elementary School in Bridgend for Logan Mwangi (PA) “We are also united in our condemnation of the horrific actions of those who ended Logan’s short life in such a harsh and brutal way and of the lengths they have taken in trying to hide evidence of what they did from the beginning. “Throughout the trial of his killers, Logan has consistently been described as a loving, kind and affectionate boy, who was kind and popular with his friends and classmates. “Listening to the tributes from Logan’s dad and his school, he was clearly a boy who brought joy and laughter to the lives of those he met, and it’s hard to find enough words to express how devastating such a horrific murder is. could have happened in the municipality of our county “. Council CEO Mark Shephard added: “Now that the test is complete, the Cwm Taf Morgannwg Regional Security Council is leading a child practice review so that the relevant departments can fully assess and examine their roles and if improvements can be made. to further strengthen the overall level of local services. “We are awaiting the findings of the review and together with our partners will implement any recommendations it may contain to ensure that we can provide the best possible, most effective services to the local community.” Additional report from the Press Association
