Mum accused of baby murder 'in no rush' for help

A woman who killed her daughter by fracturing her skull, took a bath and bought a lottery ticket before taking her to hospital, a court heard.

Sarah Ngaba, 32, formerly of Brookside, Telford, accepted she caused "life-shortening and life-limiting" head injuries to seven-week-old Eliza in 2019 but denied murder, claiming she was instead guilty of infanticide.

Prosecutor Jonas Hankin KC said Eliza died aged two in 2022 from a respiratory infection after her injuries left her vulnerable.

He told Birmingham Crown Court: "The only issue in this trial is whether the defence of infanticide applies. If it does, the defendant is guilty of infanticide. If it does not, she is guilty of murder."

Opening the case on Monday, Hankin said Ngaba was previously convicted of causing grievous bodily harm.

Eliza was born in east London on 19 September 2019, because Ngaba wanted to be near family members for her birth, the court heard.

After returning to Telford, Eliza was taken to hospital after being attacked on 13 November, jurors heard.

Hankin said it was agreed the head injuries inflicted by Ngaba were "a cause" of Eliza's death as they left her profoundly disabled and vulnerable to severe complications.

"There is, therefore, no dispute that the defendant unlawfully caused Eliza Ngaba's death and she intended to cause her really serious harm," Hankin said.

But the issue was whether the defence of infanticide applied, he added.

Outlining the evidence, Hankin said on the morning of 13 November, a witness who saw Eliza on a video call "could see that her body was shaking".

The man advised Ngaba to take the baby to hospital straight away but the defendant said she needed to have a bath and did not call an ambulance, the court heard.

Instead she rang a taxi company at 08:13 and, despite being told no cars were available until 08:50 "settled for the taxi", jurors heard.

Footage from a local supermarket at 8:59 showed her buying a lottery ticket and getting cash, the court was told.

The taxi driver, who arrived at 9:05, described the defendant as very calm.

Hankin added, of Ngaba's alleged behaviour at the hospital: "In triage and afterwards, staff described the defendant as annoyed, detached and concerned about housing rather than her baby's medical emergency."

Hankin said 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."

Ngaba was also alleged to have told a nursing sister that Eliza had not fed since about 05:00 and made no reference to her having suffered any sort of physical trauma.

"The impression she gave was that Eliza was simply unwell," Hankin told the court.

The court heard Eliza's injuries were caused by forceful shaking "together with a very significant impact" to the head, causing a complex skull fracture.

Referring to Ngaba's claim of infanticide, Hankin said the defence would say the "defendant's mind was disturbed, and it was disturbed at least in part because she had not fully recovered from the effects of giving birth".

But he said the prosecution claimed the evidence did not justify such a conclusion.

The trial continues.

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