Mother jailed for nine years over manslaughter of baby daughter
Inflicted 'unbelievable pain' on two-year-old
The mother of a two-year-old girl who died after suffering more than 100 injuries was jailed after being convicted of her manslaughter yesterday while her partner was found guilty of murder.
Sanam Navsarka died in severe pain with fractures to all her limbs in May last year having suffered injuries from repeated beatings in the four weeks up to her death, prosecutors told Bradford Crown Court.
Her mother Zahbeena Navsarka, 21, was jailed for nine years for manslaughter after being cleared of murder.
Her partner Subhan Anwar, 21, was given a life sentence and told he would serve at least 23 years in jail for the girl's murder, the Press Association reported.
Prosecutor Julian Goose said either the couple carried out the repeated assaults together, or did nothing to prevent the girl suffering violence and severe injuries.
The court heard tiny handprints and bloodstains were found inside cupboards at the home in Huddersfield and also at a former property in Batley, West Yorkshire.
Mr Anwar, who is not Sanam's father, admitted to police after his arrest that he put the girl in the cupboard as a punishment and said Ms Navsarka punished her in the same way.
The court heard the couple had left Sanam, who was found to have 107 separate external injuries, alone and dying in their home while they went to register with their GP on the day of her death.
"It is almost unbelievable the pain and anguish she must have suffered, not just once or twice, but repeatedly and persistently over weeks at your cruel and selfish hands," said judge Peter Thornton.
He said Ms Navsarka was guilty of "a gross abuse of trust".
"You did nothing, absolutely nothing. That is unbelievable. It is also incredibly cruel. You selfishly put yourself and relationship with Anwar before your child," he said. When the couple were interviewed by police after Sanam's death on last May, they blamed each other for the injuries the two-year-old had suffered.
Both her thigh bones had been fractured, causing fatty deposits to enter her bloodstream and resulting in her death, and she had fractures to both her arms.
The couple claimed Sanam had stopped breathing after they left her alone in the bath for 10 minutes and returned to find her under the water.