Mother allowed baby son's murder

Rebecca Lewis, 21, from Swansea, was convicted at Swansea Crown Court. Andrew Lloyd, 23, had earlier pleaded guilty to murdering Aaron Gilbert.

Lewis' sister Michelle Thomas said 13-month-old Aaron was a "gorgeous, happy child" who loved other children.

Aaron died of brain damage in May 2005. Fifty injuries were found on his body.

Ms Thomas told BBC Wales: "I was close to my sister at one time, but I wouldn't say I class her as my sister now, not when she didn't protect her son, not when Andrew was hurting Aaron and she never did anything.

Michelle Thomas said the evidence made her stomach churn

"I really, really hate her, and that's a terrible thing to say because she's my sister. She's 21 and she's ruined her life - all for someone like Andrew.

"She loved Andrew more than her son, I think, and that's wrong."

Ms Thomas described how she used to spend time regularly with Lewis and her nephew when Aaron was young and described him as "gorgeous".

"He loved to be around kids, and my kids adored him," she said.

"I used to go to town with him and my sister, buy him things. I'd go down to my sister Tina's every day and Aaron would be there in his baby walker having food and making a mess."

She said she would regularly visited her sister but visits dropped off and all contact had stopped by around August or September 2004.

Ms Thomas was actually in Singleton hospital in Morriston with another sister, Ceri, who was in labour, when Aaron was admitted with fatal injuries on the evening of 5 May, 2005.

Father Gareth Gilbert said Aaron was a 'daddy's boy'

She said: "I went down to get a drink and I saw Rebecca walk in crying. She said 'we've fetched Aaron in, he's stopped breathing'.

"I think Ceri gave birth at quarter to one in the morning and at quarter to eight, Rebecca phoned and said Aaron had died.

"It seemed like my life had just ended... my sister felt awful too, knowing her daughter was born on the day Aaron died."

Initially Lewis went to stay with Ms Thomas after being charged with familial homicide.

However, she said she had to ask her to leave after child protection services said Lewis could be a danger to her children.

"There was no way they were taking my kids. My kids have never had social workers or anything," she said.

Lewis is the first person in Wales to be convicted of familial homicide

Ms Thomas said she had been determined to get justice for Aaron.

"Sitting in court, listening to evidence of what happened to the baby just turned my stomach," she said.

The baby's father, Gareth Gilbert, who had split up with Lewis a number of months after Aaron was born, described him as a quiet, happy child who loved playing with other kids.

He told BBC Wales: "I used to bring him up to my brother's to watch the football and he used to stare at the television as if he enjoyed the game. He enjoyed being with the lads - he was daddy's boy.

Mr Gilbert said his best memory of Aaron was "when he was smiling and laughing".