A POIGNANT painting created by a Baildon artist honouring a six-year-old boy who was killed by his stepmother and father is set to go on display at his favourite football team's ground.
Arthur Labinjo-Hughes was six when his stepmother Emma Tustin murdered him after months of torture, while his dad Thomas Hughes was jailed for his son’s manslaughter.
The youngster was a big Birmingham City fan and now one of the club's Bradford-based supporters has commissioned artist Paul Town to do an oil painting featuring the youngster.
Mr Town, who runs Stadium Portraits, where fans can take their pick of their favourite team's home ground in an oil painting or print, has now completed the special painting after being commissioned by Blues fan John Sims, of Thornton.
The striking image features 10 Birmingham City players linked in a line together on the pitch with the crowd in front of them at the club's St Andrew's ground. It also features Arthur on the end of the line of players wearing the number six shirt with his right hand in the air.
#arthur6 #bcfc @BCFC memorial painting now completed and ready for delivery to St Andrew’s next week. Whilst incredibly humbled, I’ve done nothing but think about you Arthur through the whole process and hope I’ve done you proud. You’ll be in my heart forever x pic.twitter.com/aP2FVlcLND
— Stadium Portraits by Paul Town (@StadiumPortrait) January 27, 2022
The painting is set to go on display as part of Arthur's Area, the family zone at St Andrew's which has been renamed as a tribute to the boy.
The painting will be unveiled in Arthur's Area before Birmingham City's home Championship game against Sheffield United on Friday, February 4.
Tustin, 32, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 29 years in December last year after fatally beating the defenceless youngster at her home in Cranmore Road, Solihull, in June 2021, leaving him with an unsurvivable brain injury.
Arthur’s father, Hughes, 29, was found guilty of his son’s manslaughter and jailed for 21 years. The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) confirmed last month that the sentences are to be reviewed to “determine whether they were too low”.
Mr Town says he felt honoured and humbled to be asked to do the painting.
He said: "It's special to do this.
"For the painting to go on display in Arthur's Area is great. It's going to be there on permanent display. I hope the picture has a mystical feel to it. It's not a morbid scene.
"He is going to be in St Andrew's forever now. The little chap should never be forgotten.
"I'm really honoured and humbled to have done this. To be asked to do something like this is very humbling and I don't take it lightly."
May you always have an angel by your side. 👼💙 pic.twitter.com/dJ0Fh6Zzim
— Birmingham City FC (@BCFC) December 5, 2021
Mr Town has painted a host of Britain's greatest grounds from Exeter City to Aberdeen and virtually every team in between.
He started the business 12 years ago after being given some painting equipment as a Christmas present from his mother. It quickly took off and one of his earliest creations was a painting of the Bradford (Park Avenue) ground from the 1960s.
Mr Town, who is a Bradford City fan, was commissioned to paint the Hampden Park Trilogy by Queens Park Football Club, which resulted in an exhibition at Hampden Park, the home of Scottish football, in December 2019.
He has also had his works placed within the time capsule buried underneath the new stand at Exeter City.
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