A mother from the Midlands who fractured her infant daughter's skull 'in a fit of rage' has been sentenced to life in prison for murder. Sarah Ngaba, 32, was convicted by a jury at Birmingham Crown Court of murdering her seven-week-old baby, Eliza, who died in August 2022 from injuries sustained in a brutal assault on November 13, 2019.
Brutal Assault and Delayed Medical Help
The court heard that Ngaba shook Eliza, causing bleeding in her brain and eyes, and struck her head against a hard surface. Despite the severity of the injuries, Ngaba delayed seeking medical attention. She bought a lottery ticket and took a taxi to the hospital, where she lied to doctors about what had happened. Judge Mrs Justice Brunner KC stated that Ngaba 'deliberately concealed' Eliza's condition and 'adjusted her lies in a calculated way to match new information'.
Conviction and Sentence
Ngaba had previously been convicted of causing grievous bodily harm in 2021 and sentenced to 14 years. However, after Eliza's death, she faced a murder charge. She admitted causing 'dreadful, life-shortening and life-limiting' head injuries but denied murder. A jury found her guilty by a majority verdict of ten to two.
Sentencing Ngaba to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 12 years and 154 days, the judge noted that Ngaba had 'never shown remorse' and had put her own interests above her daughter's. The minimum tariff was reduced from 19 years to account for the six years and 211 days Ngaba had already served in custody.
