A mother who killed her seven-week-old daughter in a violent attack has been sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of more than 12 years.
Sarah Ngaba was found guilty of murdering baby Eliza Ngaba following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court. The court heard that the infant suffered devastating injuries, including violent shaking and a severe blow to the head, which ultimately led to her death.
The judge described the murder as the result of increasingly hostile behaviour towards the child and condemned Ngaba’s actions as callous and uncaring.
Evidence presented during the trial showed that Eliza sustained catastrophic injuries in November 2019. Although she survived initially, complications arising from those injuries contributed to her death from an infection in August 2022.
Prosecutors said Ngaba repeatedly attempted to conceal what had happened by misleading medical staff and police investigators. CCTV footage shown in court captured her purchasing a lottery ticket shortly before taking the seriously injured baby to hospital by taxi.
Ngaba, 32, from Telford in Shropshire, had previously been sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2021 for wounding offences connected to the same incident. Following Eliza’s death, prosecutors brought a murder charge, leading to the recent conviction.
The court imposed a life sentence with a minimum term of 12 years and 154 days before Ngaba can be considered for parole.
The tragic case has renewed attention on the protection of vulnerable children and the importance of identifying signs of abuse at the earliest opportunity.
