Audio of a six-year-old boy crying “no one loves me” and “no one’s going to feed me” have been released as his father and his partner stand trial accused of murder.

Arthur Labinjo-Hughes collapsed and died from a brain injury in June last year after a “campaign of cruelty” that amounted to “torture”, according to prosecutors.

Thomas Hughes, 29, and Emma Tustin, 32, both deny murder and also face multiple charges of child cruelty.

Tustin has claimed his fatal head injury was self inflicted – possibly by throwing himself down the staircase.

It is alleged Arthur’s food and drink was withheld – and that when he was fed it was laced with salt, that he was regularly beaten, and made to stand for up to 14 hours a day in the hallway of Tustin’s home in Solihull, West Midlands.

The court has also heard about texts from Hughes to Tustin that told her to “dig Arthur’s grave” and the “kid’s getting ended when I get back”.

Jurors at Coventry Crown Court were told that Arthur had 130 injuries – old and new – with 30 on his head and neck alone.

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More than 200 audio files were recorded by Tustin while she punished the boy, which she says were to show Hughes how his son was behaving.

Two of them have now been made public for the first time since the trial began last month.

In one, Arthur is crying and pleads “no one loves me” – repeating it four times in 23 seconds. In another 44-second clip he cries seven times “no one’s gonna feed me”.

A witness has told the court Arthur looked “broken” just a few weeks after moving into Tustin’s home during the first COVID lockdown.

On Tuesday, police also released a video – previously seen by the jury – showing him hours before he collapsed in which he struggles to pick up and put away his pillow and blanket.

With a pained expression throughout, it takes him 28 seconds to get to his knees, and eventually his feet.

Hughes wasn’t present for the alleged fatal assault but is accused of aiding and abetting the murder of his son. He also faces three counts of child cruelty, which he denies.

Tustin has admitted one count of child cruelty but denies two other similar charges.

The trial continues later this week.

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