A cold-hearted mother who fatally fractured her seven-week-old baby's skull in a fit of rage, then had a bath and bought a lottery ticket instead of taking her to the hospital, has been jailed for life.
The Crime
Sarah Ngaba, 32, forcefully shook newborn Eliza Ngaba and banged her head, causing a complex skull fracture on November 13, 2019. Instead of rushing her to the hospital, she ran herself a bath. Birmingham Crown Court heard that she popped out to buy a lottery ticket before eventually ordering a taxi to take her tot to get medical help.
Ngaba accepted that she caused dreadful, life-shortening and life-limiting head injuries and is already in prison serving a 14-year term for causing grievous bodily harm to her child, who was left profoundly disabled by the assault.
The Aftermath
In August 2022, Eliza died aged two from complications linked to the skull fracture, and Ngaba - formerly of Briarwood in Brookside, Telford, Shropshire - was charged with murder and was convicted last month. On Friday, trial judge Mrs Justice Brunner KC sentenced Ngaba to life, with a minimum of 19 years. In reality, she will serve a minimum of 12 years and 154 days in prison due to time already served in jail.
Mrs Justice Brunner told her: Eliza should have had a long and happy life. You are a person who loses your temper and lashes out. She added that Ngaba had never given a full and truthful account of what happened, remarking: I'm satisfied you attacked her in a fit of rage. The distribution of injuries shows this was not a momentary attack, Brunner told Ngaba. The trigger for you losing your temper is not clear. The result of that assault was immediately catastrophic. It would have been obvious to you straight away that Eliza had serious injuries, but you continued to act in a callous way. You deliberately delayed and you deliberately concealed Eliza's terrible state. Instead, you put your interests above hers.
Evidence
The trial heard Eliza’s injuries were caused by forceful shaking, together with a very significant impact to the head, causing a complex skull fracture. Prosecutor Jonas Hankin KC said a witness who saw Eliza on a video call on the morning of the assault could see that her body was shaking. The man advised Ngaba to take Eliza to the hospital immediately, but the defendant said she needed to have a bath and did not call an ambulance, the court heard.
Mr Hankin added: Instead, at 8.13am, she rang a taxi company. She was told that no taxi was available until 8.50am and that, if she needed to get to hospital sooner, she would have to make alternative arrangements. Despite that she settled for the taxi at 8.50am. Doorbell footage caught Ngaba leaving her flat at 8.40am, jurors heard, and footage from a local supermarket at 8.59am showed her buying a lottery ticket and obtaining cashback. The taxi driver arrived at 9.05am and described the defendant as being very calm and not seeming worried.
Of the defendant’s behaviour at the hospital, Mr Hankin said: In triage and afterwards, staff described the defendant as annoyed, detached and concerned about housing rather than her baby’s medical emergency. The prosecutor continued: The prosecution says that this sequence of events is important. Eliza was visibly shaking. The defendant was told to take her to A&E. An ambulance was suggested. She didn’t call one. She chose to bathe and dress first, accepted a delayed taxi, went to a supermarket, bought a lottery ticket, travelled calmly to hospital, and did not even rush when she got there. That evidence is difficult to reconcile with the suggestion that the assault on Eliza was the product of an acute childbirth-caused disturbance of mind. It is more consistent with a lack of urgency, with detachment, self-concern, and a failure simply to prioritise her daughter’s welfare.
Defence and Sentencing
On Friday, defence barrister Gordon Aspden KC said Ngaba had joined the Anglican community while serving at HMP Foston Hall in Derbyshire, where the chaplain described her as a model prisoner and never violent. It's difficult to imagine a more melancholy and tragic case than this for so many people, not least the victim, he told the judge. Sentencing Ngaba, Mrs Justice Brunner praised the dedication of Eliza's remarkable foster parents, Laura and Gary Haynes. Theirs was a stable and caring household and they clearly brought much love and happiness into her life, she said.
In a statement released through West Mercia Police, her foster family said: Our time with Eliza was too short and our hearts are broken. We are privileged to be Eliza's family. We love her dearly and miss her terribly every day. Det Ch Insp Lee Holehouse, of West Mercia Police, led the investigation into Eliza's death, and said the case was utterly heartbreaking. Eliza endured the consequences of her mother's violence for the remainder of her tragically short life, carrying both the physical and emotional burden of what was done to her, he said. The life sentence given to Ngaba reflects not only the severity of the harm inflicted upon Eliza, but also the childhood so cruelly taken away by the person who was meant to love and cherish her. He said Ngaba had shown no remorse and continues to take no responsibility for the suffering she caused Eliza.
