WARNING, DISTRESSING CONTENT: A post-mortem revealed that two-month-old Harleen, known as Bambi, suffered multiple skull fractures, bleeding on the brain, fractured ribs and a fractured collar bone
A mum who repeatedly banged her baby’s head on the floor in a “fit of rage” has been jailed for life. Zara Arsalan, 31, from West Bromwich, was convicted of two-month-old baby Harleen’s murder.
A post-mortem examination found the baby, known as Bambi, had several skull fractures, bleeding on the brain, broken ribs and a broken collarbone. She was also likely shaken, the court heard.
In July 2020, emergency services were called to Arsalan’s West Bromwich home after being told the baby girl had fallen from her lap. When they arrived, they found the child had a serious head injury and her breathing was unstable.
The baby died in hospital the following day from her injuries, which police described as inconsistent with a fall but more likely caused by “coming into contact with a hard surface”.
Arsalan was jailed for life with a minimum term of 19 years. Sentencing on Thursday at Coventry Crown Court, Mr Justice Cavanagh KC said ‘tiny’ Harleen ‘should have had a long and happy life ahead of her’.
“The death of a child at this young age is a tragedy,” he said. “I’m sure that you (Arsalan) had no intent to harm Harleen until the very moment you did do. You acted in a sudden fit of rage.
“The violence was ferocious. Tiny though she was, the pain and fear Harleen would have suffered will have been truly terrible.
“In this case, not only did you shake Harleen with extreme force but you also hit her head with great force against a hard surface a number of times.
“No one could have done this to a tiny and fragile baby without appreciating that there was a real prospect that it would lead to her death, not just injury.
“I’m sure, therefore, that you did not care if you killed her or not.”
The court was told that Arsalan lived with her daughter and Harleen’s father, Jatinder Bains, at a property in West Bromwich, near Birmingham at the time of the tragedy.
But their relationship had become “stormy” in the weeks before the baby’s death and the infant had suffered a rib fracture caused by her mother’s “rough handling” during a loss of temper.
It was heard that Arsalan had been finding motherhood a “struggle.”
The judge added: “Harleen would have screamed or cried loudly for some minutes after you did this to her so you would have realised that you had hurt her.
“You knew, by that stage, that you were at risk of harming Harleen but you did not seek help or support.”
Mr Justice Cavanagh KC said he believed the ‘trigger’ for the violence was that ‘Harleen would not stop crying’ and Arsalan was ‘tired and stressed’.
The judge added: ‘It’s absolutely clear that you lost your temper with her.’
The court heard that Mr Bains, 31, died by suicide in August 2022.
Arsalan – who was 25 at the time of Harleen’s death and had no previous convictions – gave “conflicting and untruthful” accounts to police about what had happened to her daughter.
In 2020, she claimed that Harleen had “wriggled” out of her arms and onto the floor as she changed her.
When she was interviewed in 2022 after hearing of Mr Bains’ death she lied once again – insisting that Mr Bains had assaulted both her and Harleen.
Mr Justice Cavanagh KC said: ‘”his was a false narrative, designed to throw blame upon Mr Bains.”
“There is no suggestion that Arsalan and Mr Bains were jointly responsible for the assault on Harleen.”
Detective Chief Inspector Phil Poole, from West Midlands Police said: “This is an incredibly tragic case. Harleen was only two months old when she died at the hands of the person who should have been doing everything to keep her safe.
“Arsalan has never taken responsibility for her actions. Instead, she has repeatedly lied about what happened to Harleen despite being shown evidence that rejects her claims.
“I want to thank all of the officers involved as I know they were deeply affected by this investigation. They have worked incredibly hard to get justice for Harleen and her family.”
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