Daniel Thomas says his heart has been shattered. It hurts for him to even speak the name of his 2-year-old daughter Lola James, following her murder at the hands of her mother's boyfriend. Thomas James issued a statement, which was his apology to his late daughter for all of the pain she endured during her short time on earth.
Lola James was killed by her mother’s new partner Kyle Bevan. Both Bevan and Lola’s mother, Sinead James, have been convicted of murdering the toddler in their family home in Wales.
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Lola's father penned a tribute to her.
Thomas James says he feels unbearable agony over the loss of his child, according to the Express. "The pain and grief I feel every time I close my eyes and see your perfect little face is unbearable," he wrote. “The pain I feel thinking of all the smiles you gave to me and all the smiles I won’t get a chance to give back to you hurts so much. I’m so sorry your short life was filled with so much pain. You are so loved Lola and so missed every single day."
While he offered a lovely tribute to Lola, his words took on a different tone as he addressed her killers. Thomas James says he prays that the “cruel, evil people” who hurt her will “suffer pain and torment until they take their last breath.”
Bevan and Sinead James are facing prison time after being convicted in Lola’s death, reported The Guardian. Their sentencing hearing is set for April 25.
The attack against Lola reportedly lasted all night.
Lola’s last moments on the evening of July 16 and the morning of July 17, 2020, were horrific as she was found to have 101 external injuries, catastrophic head trauma, and extensive damage to both of her eyes, The Guardian reported.
Prosecutors described Bevan’s attack on the toddler as “frenzied and extremely violent.” Phone records showed that Bevan, a drug user, Googled, “my 2 year old child has just taken a bang to the head and gone all limp and snoring. What’s wrong,” at 6:30 a.m. on July 17.
Prosecutors argued Bevan tried to cover his tracks before calling authorities.
Bevan called his mother, a health care worker, at 6:40 a.m. Bevan recorded a video of himself trying to make Lola stand before allowing her to fall to the ground. Later in the video he’s seen walking toward the camera saying, “She’s gone. She’s gone.”
Bevan sent the video to his mother at 6:58 a.m. She told him to contact paramedics. He didn’t do so until 7:30 a.m. When paramedics arrived, they found Lola unconscious with a swollen and bruised face and she appeared wet.
Authorities believe the toddler had been scrubbed clean before paramedics arrived. Bevan told paramedics Lola had fallen down a flight of stairs after being knocked over by the family dog.
Sinead James claimed she was asleep as her daughter was being attacked.
Sinead James said she was asleep when her daughter's injuries occurred. Still, the jury determined that Sinead James, a victim of domestic violence, failed to protect Lola from Bevan.
Lola had previously suffered a damaged nose, black eye, and cut lip while in Bevan’s care. The prosecution argued that Sinead James chose to prioritize her relationship with Bevan over her daughter’s physical safety.
'She will forever be our diamond up in the sky,' Lola's maternal grandmother said of her granddaughter.
Lola’s maternal grandmother, Nicola James, paid tribute to her granddaughter, saying her last memory of the child would be her singing and dancing to Rihanna’s “Diamonds.”
“She will forever be our diamond up in the sky, we will never ever forget her, and we will continue to keep her memory alive. We write her letters, and we talk to her in the sky at night.”
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child), or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
