Mother who murdered her baby jailed for life

A mother has been jailed for life and told she will serve a minimum of 19 years in prison for killing her two-month-old baby.

Zara Arsalan, 31, from West Bromwich, was convicted of baby Harleen's murder, which happened six years ago, after a trial last month.

A post-mortem examination found the baby had several skull fractures, bleeding on the brain, broken ribs and a broken collarbone. She was also likely shaken, police said.

Det Ch Insp Phil Poole previously described the case as "incredibly tragic" and that Arsalan had "never taken responsibility for her actions".

"Instead, she has repeatedly lied about what happened to Harleen despite being shown evidence that rejects her claims," he said.

"I hope today's sentence finally brings Harleen's family some peace."

In July 2020, the emergency services were called to Arsalan's West Bromwich home after being told the baby girl had fallen from her lap.

When they arrived, they found the child had a serious head injury and her breathing was unstable.

The baby died in hospital the following day from her injuries, which police described as inconsistent with a fall but more likely caused by "coming into contact with a hard surface".

Arsalan was jailed at Warwick Crown Court on Thursday.

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