Sweet video shows little Arthur Labinjo-Hughes reveal footie star dreams before being murdered by cruel stepmum
BEAMING Arthur Labinjo-Hughes chats about his dream of becoming a footballer in a poignant video before his brutal death.
The innocent six-year-old lounges comfortably on a sofa as he tells his beloved uncle Daniel Hughes how he wants to play for Liverpool then Tottenham.
Birmingham City fan Arthur then shares his hope for joining the England team.
The touching video was filmed before Arthur was killed by his stepmum Emma Tustin and dad Thomas Hughes in a horrific case that shocked the nation.
It comes as…
- A dad and stepmum have been jailed for killing tragic Arthur
- Their sentences have been referred to the Attorney General for being too 'lenient'
- A trial heard harrowing evidence that helped snare the killer pair
- A tragic timeline of Arthur's death shows the missed chances by the authorities
- Arthur's gran slammed his selfish killer for acting like his death 'inconvenienced’ her
- It emerged Tustin aborted a baby in custody and twice attempted suicide
- Neighbours say 'nutcase' Tustin chased an ex with a spade and manipulated men
- Football fans are applauding at the sixth minute of games today to honour the Birmingham City fan
He was starved, poisoned with salt and eventually beaten to death after being tortured in his final months.
But the cheeky little boy grinning in the video as he plays with his superhero toys is a world away from the emaciated and broken boy seen in cruel clips recorded by his tormenters.
The clip shows Arthur shaking his head when asked if he is going to play for England, adding: "After when I've played for Liverpool, I'm going to play for Tottenham."
He then explains he will join the Three Lions but only after he achieves his Premier League dream.
His uncle Daniel shared the video on Twitter today, urging: "Remember him like this please".
His plea comes as football fans around the country clapped for Arthur today in a touching sixth-minute tribute – one minute for each year of his short life.
Daniel – Hughes' brother – had flagged concerns to social services in April after noticing his nephew had a bruised back.
After hearing nothing back, he tried to confront Hughes and Tustin at her home before calling West Midlands Police to report his concerns.
Instead of taking action, Daniel was threatened with arrest for breaking Covid rules.
Just two months later, Arthur was battered to death by Tustin at her house of horrors in Shirley.
She was caged for life with a minimum of 29 years yesterday after being convicted of murdering her stepson.
His "pitiless" dad Hughes was caged for 21 years after being found guilty of manslaughter.
Their "lenient" sentences are being referred to the Attorney General by Solihull MP Julian Knight.
Hughes and Tustin waged a sick "campaign of cruelty" against Arthur in his tragic final months.
The youngster was segregated for 14 hours a day and forced to sleep on the floor in a brutal struggle that matched the “medical definition of child torture”.
He was also poisoned with so much salt he was too weak to even put up a fight against his torturers' horrific abuse.
On June 16 last year, Tustin repeatedly smashed the youngster's head against a hard surface causing him to collapse.
He died in hospital the next day from a "head trauma inflicted on him by an adult" consistent with being "vigorously shaken and his head banged repeatedly against a hard surface".
TORTURED
Arthur's frail and skeletal body was covered with 130 bruises and he suffered 93 different areas of injury – including on his head, arms, legs, feet and torso.
Even if just half of the 130 bruises on Arthur's body were the result of abuse, it would still be a mark for every day he spent being "terrorised" during lockdown.
The injuries were so severe they were likened to those seen in a high-speed car crash.
Chillingly, Arthur's final months on earth were captured in harrowing audio clips and recordings made by Tustin and Hughes.
Arthur could be heard wailing in one 23-second recording "no one loves me" and "no one is going to feed me".
Video footage also showed Arthur hours before he died waking up on the living room floor.
The emaciated youngster was said to be so frail he could barely pick up his bedding.
A serious case review has now been launched following the "terrible tragedy", Solihull Council confirmed.
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