Three men have appeared in court and denied murdering Pembrokeshire child killer, Kyle Bevan, who was found dead in his cell.

Bevan, 33, was jailed for a minimum of 28 years in 2023 for murdering his partner's two-year-old daughter, Lola James in Haverfordwest.

He was found dead at HMP Wakefield on November 5.

Lee Newell, 56, along with anther defendant who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Leeds Crown Court via video link on December 15 where they denied the charge of murder.

Mark Fellows, 45, did not attend the hearing but his barrister entered a not guilty plea.

A trial has been scheduled for June.

Following Lola James' death in 2020, Bevan spent a couple of years living in Aberystwyth.

Bevan denied killing Lola, claiming she was pushed down the stairs by a dog, but a jury took just 10 hours to find him guilty of murder in 2023.

The attack took place on 17 July 2020, with Lola dying from her injuries four days later.

She had suffered a "catastrophic" brain injury, and medical experts noted 101 separate injuries to her body.

After assaulting Lola, Bevan, rather than phone 999, began searching for information on the internet about head injuries before taking photos and a video of her limp body.

Bevan denied the charge of murder, telling police Lola's injuries were caused by the family dog, an American bulldog called Jessie, which pushed her down the stairs.

The prosecution said the claim was a "deliberate lie to cover up his guilt".

Bevan had lived in the family home in Haverfordwest for four months before he killed Lola.

Lola’s mother, Sinead James, 30, from Neyland, was jailed for six years for causing or allowing her death.

The court heard Bevan used drugs including Xanax, cannabis and amphetamines, and had a volatile temper.

Sentencing the pair, Judge Justice Griffiths said that Bevan had shown no remorse for his actions and that is was possible that he will spend the rest of his life in prison, with the minimum sentence being set at 28 years.

Following Bevan’s conviction, Lola’s biological father, Daniel Thomas, said: “The pain and grief I feel every time I close my eyes and see your perfect little face is unbearable.

“The pain I feel thinking of all the smiles you gave to me and all the smiles I won’t get a chance to give back to you hurts so much.

“Even to say your name shatters my heart to know you can’t hear my voice anymore, the only reason I can stand here today is for hope that you can see me, see that you were loved and that you deserved to live a full, happy, safe life surrounded by the joy that you gave to others.

“I’m so sorry your short life was filled with so much pain. You are so loved Lola and so missed every single day.”

Bevan's death came less than a month after paedophile singer Ian Watkins, 48, was killed at the same prison.