A stepmother who was convicted of murdering Arthur Labinjo-Hughes after 'torturing' him never mentioned the boy while awaiting trial, according to her former cellmate.
Emma Tustin was given a life sentence with a minimum of 29 years for the murder of six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes on June 17, 2020. She killed Arthur by repeatedly slamming his head on a hard surface.
Tustin and her ex-partner Thomas Hughes inflicted a 'cruel and systematic campaign of cruelty' against his son, which included forcing Arthur to stand for up to 14-hours a day alone, depriving him of food and water and poisoning him with salt.
Hughes, 29, was jailed for life with a minimum of 21 years after being found guilty of manslaughter - but cleared of murder - for encouraging the killing, including by sending a text message to Tustin 18 hours before the fatal assault telling her 'just end him'.
But as it was revealed their 'lenient' prison sentences are set to be referred to the Attorney General, Tustin's former cellmate Elaine Pritchard told the Sunday Mirror that Tustin never mentioned Arthur during the six weeks they shared a cell.
Meanwhile, Boris Johnson is understood to have ordered a wide-ranging investigation into the murder of the six-year-old, which will involve social services, police, schools and probation watchdogs.
Emma Tustin's former cellmate Elaine Pritchard claimed Tustin (pictured) never mentioned her stepson Arthur Labinjo-Hughes during the six weeks they shared a cell
Speaking about sharing a cell with Arthur's stepmother, Elaine claimed Tustin told inmates she was being held in Eastwood Park prison in Gloucestershire because her ex-partner Hughes had 'neglected' his son.
Elaine, who was recalled to prison for battery and criminal damage, told the publication: 'Emma hadn't said anything about Arthur dying. She never mentioned him.'
She claimed she only found out about Tustin's charges after finding her case paperwork, with Elaine saying she grew 'angry' after reading about Arthur's 130 bruises, resulting in the pair having a row.
She claimed she asked Tustin how she didn't notice Arthur's bruising while giving him a bath, to which she alleged Tustin responded that she 'gave him a towel'.
Elaine, who also gave evidence at Tustin's trial, added: 'I pressed the bell and said if the prison officers didn't get her out then I'd be staying there a long time.'
Emma Tustin was given a life sentence with a minimum of 29 years for the murder of Arthur, six, on June 17, 2020. His father Thomas Hughes was also given life sentence for manslaughter
Tustin's former cellmate Elaine claimed she told inmates she was being held in Eastwood Park prison in Gloucestershire because her ex-partner Hughes had 'neglected' his son
Tustin was moved to a different cell, but inmates began lacing her meals with salt after learning about how she had poisoned Arthur, Elaine claimed.
Elsewhere, was reported that the Prime Minister has ordered an investigation into Arthur's death that will involve social services, police, schools and probation watchdogs.
The inquiry has been designed to 'learn lessons' from the six-year-old's death and to try and prevent a similar tragedy happening again, according to The Times.
The investigation is expected to be formally announced on Sunday, while Mr Johnson reportedly said he will leave 'no stone unturned' during the inquiry.
The wide-ranging probe will reportedly consider whether to introduce safeguarding guidelines for at-risk children if there are any future lockdowns.
New figures showed that nearly 50,000 vulnerable children may have 'dropped off the radar' of social services during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The number of new cases referred to children's services departments fell by 45,220 – or 7 per cent – from 2019-20 to 2020-21.
The total dropped to 597,760 for the year to March 2021, the lowest figure since records began in 2013. By contrast, the total for 2018-19, before the pandemic, was 650,930.
The Department for Education said the sharp reduction was driven by a fall in referrals from schools, which were closed for most pupils during lockdown.
Tim Loughton, a former children's minister, said the pandemic had put vulnerable children such as Arthur Labinjo-Hughes at greater risk.
'There was an increase in child abuse because of course they were off the radar,' he told the Daily Telegraph.
A former children's commissioner also suggested the lockdown helped Emma Tustin and Thomas Hughes carry out their reign of terror largely unchecked.
Tustin and Hughes (pictured with Arthur) inflicted a 'cruel and systematic campaign of cruelty' against his son, which included depriving him of food and water and poisoning him with salt
Boris Johnson is understood to have ordered a wide-ranging investigation into the murder of Arthur (pictured), which will involve social services, police, schools and probation watchdogs
It comes after it was announced that the 'lenient' prison sentences handed to Tustin and Hughes are set to be referred to the Attorney General in a bid to see the pair's time behind bars extended.
Emma Tustin and Thomas Hughes were both jailed for more than 20 years each for their roles in the death of little Arthur, but could face a harsher sentence after Solihull MP Julian Knight warned their case will be passed onto Britain's chief legal advisor.
Tustin was given a life sentence with a minimum of 29 years while Hughes was jailed for life with a minimum of 21 years. The minimum term before her case is considered by a parole board is 29 years.
But Mr Knight, speaking as he lay flowers outside the youngster's home in Solihull, West Midlands on Saturday, said he intends to refer Tustin and Hughes' case to the 'unduly lenient sentencing scheme' - meaning the pair's time behind bars could be extended.
Meanwhile harrowing video footage shows Arthur's evil stepmother devouring a McDonald's takeaway while the doomed six-year-old boy starves in the hallway last summer.
Both Tustin, 32, and Hughes, 29, can be seen tucking into ice creams at her Solihull home in West Midlands in June 2020. As the couple relax on the sofa, Arthur is left to stand by himself in the hallway, wearing a fluffy onesie in sweltering temperatures.
Today, in poignant scenes set to be replicated at
