A callous mother caused the death of her baby daughter after keeping her in a house of squalor where "faeces was smeared on walls".
Fartun Jamal, 25, was jailed for five years and six months yesterday as a court heard she failed to get medical help when 11-month-old Nafahat Diini became ill.
Her cot was found broken and covered in urine in the property in Brent, northwest London.
Nafahat died in December 2020 as a result of respiratory tract infection of bronchitis complicated with pneumonia, My London reports.
It had occurred as a consequence of the unfit condition in which Jamal had raised her child, Harrow Crown Court was told.
Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Madeline Ryder, the senior investigating officer at Met Police, said: “This is an absolutely tragic case that resulted in the needless death of an innocent baby.
"The death of a child is an investigation that no police officer ever wishes to undertake. All of the officers and staff who were involved in the investigation have been left deeply affected by it. The investigation team, led by Detective Sergeant John Martin, worked tirelessly to get justice for Nafahat.
"No child should ever have to suffer in this manner. Baby Nafahat was only 11 months old when she died in squalid conditions, surrounded by walls covered in faeces. She died of an illness that was very treatable if Jamal had bothered to seek medical attention. What is even more harrowing, is that her GP’s surgery was less than 70 metres away from where she died and could be seen from Nafahat’s bedroom window, so help was within very easy reach.
"For the vast majority of parents, to care for, protect and nurture their children is their main priority. However, Jamal was out partying just days before Nafahat’s death and had clearly placed her social life above that of the basic needs of her baby. There is no sentence long enough to justify the taking of a baby’s life, however, I am pleased with the outcome of today’s sentencing. We hope that in some small way, this offers some comfort to Nafahat’s remaining family."
The house itself was reported by officers to have a strong smell of urine and there was little to no food found anywhere in the property, other than a container filled with congealed pasta that was being used as an ashtray.
Jamal, from Brent, also put her social life before that of her child and was out partying days before her baby died.
When inspecting the property, police found mouse droppings on her mattress and human faeces on the walls and several of the rooms contained carrier bags full of dirty nappies and plates of rotting food.
The only items in the fridge were two bottles of milk that were nearly empty. In the broken freezer was a melted carton of ice cream.
Jamal told officers she had offered Nafahat formula milk earlier that morning but she had refused it.
However, officers found no formula milk in the flat. There were no photos of Nafahat in the property and no toys were found. The doctor who pronounced Nafahat dead told officers it was a case of neglect.
Jamal has been jailed for causing the death of her 11-month old baby as well as three counts of child cruelty following a trial.
