A woman got a Facebook friend request from a stranger - five months later her two-year-old daughter was murdered

When Sinead James got a friend request from Kyle Bevan in February 2020, she had no idea that the man she was about to invite into her life would go on to murder her two-year-old daughter just months later.

Lola James was a "beautiful, bright, busy" little girl who was always on the go, but her life was cut short before she even reached her third birthday, Wales Online reports. In the early hours of July 17, Bevan, 31, subjected Lola to an almost unimaginable level of violence, causing her catastrophic brain injuries and leaving her body covered in more than 100 bruises.

He had moved into the family home, on Princess Royal Way in Haverfordwest, just days after meeting James, 30, for the first time in person. The couple barely knew each other.

READ MORE: Boy, 12, accused of murdering woman hit by car smiles during first appearance in court

James had previously been in a violent and abusive relationship and had been receiving support from a number of agencies. She had completed courses on how to recognise domestic abusers and had been told not to invite adults into the family if she did not know them well.

In February, at around the same time she met Bevan, James was advised to use the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme - commonly known as Clare’s Law - when starting new relationships.

James had told a health visitor that she "found Lola very demanding". The toddler had been referred to a speech therapist but James declined support regarding her behaviour. The home that they shared together was described as "cluttered, dirty and smelling damp" and Lola had occasionally appeared unwashed and with dirty feet.

When Bevan, from Aberystwyth, moved into the Pembrokeshire home, he promised James he was "not like the