Murder trial mum ‘had tub and acquired lottery ticket’ earlier than taking child to hospital

Sarah Ngaba, 32, is accused of murdering her newborn daughter Eliza by fracturing her skull – the court heard she took a bath and bought a lottery ticket before taking the baby to hospital by taxi

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A mother who fatally fractured her newborn daughter’s skull took a bath and purchased a lottery ticket before hailing a taxi to the hospital, a court has been told.

Sarah Ngaba, 32, admits to inflicting “dreadful, life-shortening and life-limiting” head injuries on seven-week-old Eliza but refutes murder charges, claiming she is guilty of infanticide instead. The jury at Birmingham Crown Court was informed that their sole task is to determine whether Ngaba’s mental state was unstable during the assault, and if this instability was partially due to an incomplete recovery from childbirth.

Presenting the case against Ngaba on Monday, prosecutor Jonas Hankin KC revealed that Eliza passed away aged two in August 2022 from an infection, rendered vulnerable by her injuries.

The court learned that Eliza was born in Homerton Hospital in East London on September 19, 2019, as Ngaba, residing in Shropshire at the time, wished to be close to family during delivery.

Upon returning to Telford, it was reported that Eliza was rushed to the hospital following an attack on the morning of November 13, 2019.

Mr Hankin informed the court that Ngaba, formerly of Briarwood in Brookside, Telford, had a previous conviction for causing grievous bodily harm.

The Crown’s KC stated that it was agreed that the head injuries inflicted by Ngaba were “a cause” of Eliza’s death as they left her severely disabled and susceptible to serious complications from infection, including death.

Mr Hankin stated: “That is what happened – she died from a respiratory infection, but she would not have died from that infection had she not been rendered vulnerable by the injuries inflicted by her mother.

“There is, therefore, no dispute that the defendant unlawfully caused Eliza Ngaba’s death and she intended to cause her really serious harm.

“The only issue in this trial is whether the defence of infanticide applies. If it does, the defendant is guilty of infanticide. If it does not, she is guilty of murder.”

While detailing the evidence relied upon by the Crown, Mr Hankin told the court a witness who saw Eliza during a video call on the morning of 13 November 2019 “could see that her body was shaking”.

This witness urged Ngaba to take Eliza to hospital immediately, but the defendant claimed she needed to have a bath first and failed to call an ambulance, the court heard.

Mr Hankin continued: “Instead at 8.13am she rang a taxi company.

“She was told that no taxi was available until 8.50am and that, if she needed to get to hospital sooner, she would have to make alternative arrangements.

“Despite that she settled for the taxi at 8.50am.”

Jurors were presented with doorbell footage showing Ngaba leaving her flat at 8.40am, as well as footage from a local supermarket at 8.59am where she was seen buying a lottery ticket and getting cashback.

According to Mr Hankin, the taxi driver, who arrived at 9.05am, described Ngaba as being remarkably calm and not appearing worried. Upon arriving at the hospital, Ngaba was reportedly calm and unhurried, according to Mr Hankin.

Describing the defendant’s alleged behaviour at the hospital, Mr Hankin stated: “In triage and afterwards, staff described the defendant as annoyed, detached and concerned about housing rather than her baby’s medical emergency.”

The prosecutor continued: “The prosecution says that this sequence of events is important.

“Eliza was visibly shaking. The defendant was told to take her to A&E. An ambulance was suggested. She didn’t call one.

“She chose to bathe and dress first, accepted a delayed taxi, went to a supermarket, bought a lottery ticket, travelled calmly to hospital, and did not even rush when she got there.

“That evidence is difficult to reconcile with the suggestion that the assault on Eliza was the product of an acute childbirth-caused disturbance of mind.

“It is more consistent with a lack of urgency, with detachment, self-concern, and a failure simply to prioritise her daughter’s welfare.”

Ngaba allegedly informed a nursing sister that Eliza had not fed since approximately 5am, making no mention of her having suffered physical trauma.

Mr Hankin informed the jurors: “The impression she gave was that Eliza was simply unwell.

“That’s important because Eliza’s neurological injuries were so severe that after they had been inflicted she could not have behaved normally, interacted normally, or fed normally.

“When Eliza was taken out of the pram, the nurse immediately saw she was in a state of collapse: pale, unresponsive, gasping and having seizures.

“Indeed she was concerned that Eliza was about to die and she required immediate emergency resuscitation.”

The court was informed that Eliza’s injuries were the result of forceful shaking “together with a very significant impact” to the head, leading to a complex skull fracture.

Addressing Ngaba’s infanticide defence, Mr Hankin stated: “The defence will say that, at the time of the assault, the balance of the defendant’s mind was disturbed, and it was disturbed at least in part because she had not fully recovered from the effects of giving birth.

“The prosecution says the evidence does not justify such a conclusion.

“The prosecution says that when the evidence is looked at carefully, the true picture is not one of a childbirth-related disturbance of mind – it is one of anger, frustration, resentment and a loss of self-control.”

The trial continues.