Sarah Ngaba Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Murdering Seven-Week-Old Daughter Eliza

In a tragic and disturbing case, Sarah Ngaba, a 32-year-old mother, has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 12 years and 154 days for the murder of her seven-week-old daughter, Eliza. The sentencing took place at Birmingham Crown Court, where Ngaba was found guilty of inflicting 'dreadful, life-shortening and life-limiting' head injuries on her infant daughter. According to the prosecution, Eliza's injuries were caused by two distinct mechanisms - shaking and impact - and the attack was prolonged. The judge, Mrs Justice Brunner, described the killing of Eliza as 'the culmination of increasingly hostile behaviour' towards the infant. Ngaba had previously been jailed for 14 years in 2021 for wounding in connection with the same incident and was subsequently charged with murder after Eliza's death in August 2022. The court heard that Ngaba had shown growing hostility towards Eliza prior to the attack and had initially blamed a walking stick and then Eliza's father for the injuries. However, phone records and CCTV footage proved that her account was impossible, and she changed her story again. The prosecution stated that Ngaba had deliberately delayed seeking medical help for Eliza and had concealed the true extent of her injuries. In her statement, Kate Seal of the Crown Prosecution Service said, 'This is one of the most distressing cases I have encountered in my eight years as a prosecutor. Eliza was just seven weeks old, entirely defenceless, and dependent on her mother for care and protection. Sarah Ngaba inflicted catastrophic injuries on a defenceless baby and then did everything she could to avoid responsibility for what she had done.' Detective Chief Inspector Lee Holehouse, who led the investigation into Eliza's death, said, 'We will never fully understand why Ngaba assaulted Eliza when she was just seven weeks old. She has shown no remorse throughout either of our investigations and continues to take no responsibility for the suffering she caused Eliza.' Eliza's foster parents, Laura and Gary Haynes, shared a statement expressing their deep love for Eliza and their daily missing of her 'bright and sunny nature'. The judge praised Eliza's foster parents for providing a 'stable and caring household' and bringing 'much love and happiness' into the child's life.