Pair in court over death of two-year-old girl

Two people have denied charges relating to the death of a two-year-old girl.

Kyle Bevan, 30, denied the murder of Lola James, while the toddler’s mother, Sinead James, 29, pleaded not guilty to causing or allowing her death.

They both appeared before Judge Paul Thomas QC at Swansea Crown Court and spoke only to enter their pleas.

A previous hearing heard that Lola suffered a “catastrophic” head injury at her home in Haverfordwest in July 2020.

Police were called out on Friday July 17 and Lola died four days later at Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital in Cardiff.

Judge Thomas said a four-week trial is likely to take place next year before a High Court judge.

He told the defendants: “It is not possible at the moment to set a trial date as there are a number of matters that need to be taken into consideration.

“This trial may not be heard until 2023.”

Bevan, from Queen’s Road, Aberystwyth, was remanded into custody, while James, of Neyland, Pembrokeshire, was released on conditional bail.