An 18-year-old mother has been sentenced to nine years in jail after she left her daughter at home to starve to death, while she travelled to celebrate her birthday with her boyfriend in the UK.
Prosecutors said Verphy Kudi abandoned 20-month-old Asiah at her flat in Brighton, England, for almost six days while she partied in London and Coventry.
She left her flat on December 5 and travelled to London to party until December 11.
On Dec 7, she attended a 1990s music concert in Elephant and Castle, south London, and had a DJ announce her birthday to partygoers while her daughter was alone at home. She stayed out until 4 am at the concert.
On Dec 9, she attended another party in Coventry then went back to London before finally returning home on December 11.
Unfortunately, Asiah died from influenza and starvation after being left unattended at the flat, prosecutors said.
Kudi, now 19, returned to her flat on December 11, 2019, and found her daughter lying on the floor. She was “incoherent, distressed, and distraught” as she called paramedics.
Medics arrived at 6.12 pm on December 11, 2019, before Asiah was rushed to Brighton’s Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital but could not be saved and was confirmed dead on arrival.
Verphy Kudi pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced at Lewes Crown Court today, August 6.
Sentencing Kudi, Judge Christine Laing QC said: “Asiah was alone in that flat for six days unable to do anything to draw attention to her plight.
“She was a helpless child and relied completely on you as her mother to provide for her needs.
“It is almost unbearable to contemplate her suffering in the final days of her life, suffering that she endured so that you could celebrate your birthday and the birthdays of your friends as a carefree teenager.
Judge Laing added: “It goes without saying that this is a particularly tragic case and it no doubt raises strong emotions in all who hear of it, but everyone should bear in mind that the charge I sentence you for is one of manslaughter, it being accepted that you did not intend to cause Asiah death nor to cause her really serious harm.”
