Mother wants to challenge conviction for murdering son, five

Claire Hayhurst, Press Association

A mother who was convicted of murdering her five-year-old son aims to submit an application to the body which investigates potential miscarriages of justice, an inquest hearing has been told.

Angharad Williamson, 35, from Sarn, Bridgend, was sentenced to life imprisonment for killing Logan Mwangi after a trial at Cardiff Crown Court in 2022.

Williamson, Logan’s stepfather John Cole, 44, and his son Craig Mulligan, now 18, were also convicted of murdering the youngster at his home.

They had conspired to cover up Logan’s murder by claiming to police that the schoolboy had gone missing – with officers discovering his body in the nearby River Ogmore on July 31 2021.

A post-mortem examination found Logan had suffered more than 56 injuries, described as being similar to those expected from a fall from great height or a high speed car crash.

Williamson was jailed for life with a minimum term of 28 years in prison, Cole for life with a minimum term of 29 years and Mulligan detained for a minimum of 15 years during a sentencing hearing in June 2022.

On Wednesday, a pre-inquest review was held at South Wales Central Coroners’ Court in Pontypridd.

A full hearing will take place at a later date.

Williamson, accompanied by a prison mental health support worker, appeared briefly on video link during the hearing which she listened to from prison.

She was represented in court by Tony Thompson, who told assistant coroner David Regan that he was a former senior police officer.

Mr Thompson told the coroner: “I’ve been instructed by Angharad Williamson to review her conviction. I had no previous involvement in the matter.

“I’m conducting a review of her conviction at her request, at not cost.

“The ultimate aim is to determine whether there are sufficient grounds to submit an application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission.”

Mr Thompson requested interested person status – giving him the right to participate during the inquest – as he said that the inquest and his investigation are “closely related”.

The coroner told Mr Thompson and Williamson to submit a formal written application within four weeks.

Coroner

During the hearing, Mr Regan said the inquest would be heard by a coroner and not by a jury.

It will examine events dating back to August 2020, when Logan was taken to hospital with injuries to his body.

Mr Regan said the scope of the inquest will include the “investigation, assessment, management and safeguarding” of Logan including when Mulligan was reintroduced to his home shortly before his death.

There will also be consideration of the circumstances in which Logan was found unresponsive on July 31 2021 and the cause of his death.

Legal representatives for South Wales Police, Bridgend County Borough Council and Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board joined the hearing on Thursday.

In 2023, Williamson lost a Court of Appeal bid to challenge her conviction.