BABY'S TEARS
Baby girl ‘would not have had the strength to cry’ after mum Verphy Kudi left Asiah to die on 6-day 18th birthday bender
A STARVING baby would not have had the strength to cry out after her mum abandoned her to go on a six-day birthday bender and left her to die.
Verphy Kudi, now 19, was captured on CCTV leaving 20-month-old Asiah alone in the flat, forcing her to go through "almost unimaginable suffering".
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The mum - who was jailed for nine years yesterday - had attended parties in London, Coventry and Solihull during the marathon six-day party session in December 2019.
In harrowing evidence the court heard that Dr Nicola Cleghorn felt it was unlikely that little Asiah would have continued to cry because she had learned that her mum would not respond.
Sentencing Kudi Judge Christine Laing added: “Asiah was alone in that flat for six days, less two hours, unable to do anything to draw attention to her plight.
“It’s a particularly distressing aspect of this case that in the opinion of Dr Cleghorn, it’s unlikely that Asiah would have cried for any length of time because she had already learnt that in many occasions there was unlikely to be a response.
“And when her suffering became too great, she would not have had the strength to cry.”
The judge also slammed Kudi for choosing to "prioritise your desires over the needs of your child".
On her six-day bender, callous Kudi even had a DJ announce her birthday as her baby girl was alone at home, starving to death.
She even broke down on one of the days and said she was missing Asiah, who she was worried about as she was "not used" to being away from her.
After she finally returned home to Brighton, Kudi called 999 saying: "Help, my baby is not waking up".
PARTY GIRL
Asiah was rushed to Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital in Brighton but was tragically declared dead on arrival.
A post-mortem exam and subsequent forensic tests found baby Asiah was dehydrated and starved and died from neglect.
Sickeningly, Kudi had left Asiah alone before - including once for two-and-a-half days while she celebrated a friend's birthday in London.
Kudi sobbed as she was caged for nine years at Lewes Crown Court, and will serve two-thirds of her sentence in prison before being released on licence.
The mum previously wept in the dock as she pleaded guilty to manslaughter between December 4 and 12.
Shocking footage has now been released showing Kudi beaming as she parties in a nightclub on December 8 - three days after leaving her daughter.
CCTV also showed Kudi leaving the flat and her baby girl as she embarked on the bender on December 5.
She can be seen in further footage looking worse for wear as she returned home on December 11.
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When Kudi arrived back from her boozy jaunt, she was seen popping to a communal bin area as she waited three hours to call 999.
Paramedics eventually raced to the home and discovered the baby cold and unresponsive with signs of rigour mortis setting in.
The "hysterical" mum told them and police Asiah had been unwell all day and fell asleep after eating a banana and drinking some milk.
Kudi, who had been trying to sell gig tickets and launch her modelling career that day, then claimed that she never woke up again.
But she drastically changed her story when police showed her CCTV that confirmed she left the flat alone on December 5 and didn't return until six days later.
At the time of Asiah's death, Kudi was living in supported housing for young families run by the YMCA on behalf of Brighton and Hove City Council.
YMCA Downslink staff are located in the block but do not enter the living areas or carry out visits or inspections.
Asiah did not have a social worker even though Kudi had repeatedly gone missing since the age of 14 and had been the subject of a number of police appeals.
Staff at the unit called police after reviewing CCTV footage following the baby's death.
A safeguarding review has been launched by Brighton and Hove Safeguarding Children Partnership (BHSCP).
As a family we are in the midst of an unbearable tragedy
Asiah and Verphy's family
In a statement, Asiah and Verphy's family have said; " We are saddened by the current situation and as a family we have many unanswered questions.
"Verphy has experienced so much at such a young age and we have always done what we can to support her.
"As a family we are in the midst of an unbearable tragedy. Not only are we coming to terms with what has happened today but we are also still grieving for our beloved Asiah. "
Brighton and Hove Safeguarding Children Partnership (BHSCP) said: "We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Asiah.
"In our safeguarding role, we will work with our partners to look into what has happened and carry out a Child Safeguarding Practice Review.
'This includes working with our partner Sussex Police to make sure our review is carried out in support of or alongside their ongoing actions in this case."
Detective Chief Inspector Andy Wolstenholme, said; "This was a particularly distressing case for my team and me to investigate, and has caused great sorrow amongst Verphy's family and the many agencies that have supported Verphy and Asiah.
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"In pleading guilty, Ms Kudi accepted the terrible judgements she made in leaving her child alone and unprotected for such a protracted period, and accepts the lies she told to friends, family and professionals to cover up her neglect of her daughter and in order to avoid being caught.
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"I hope Verphy's acceptance will help the rest of her family to grieve the terrible loss of Asiah. Sussex Police will always go the extra mile to investigate offending against children and all vulnerable people, as well as supporting their families and friends.
"I would always urge anyone who has concerns for the wellbeing of a child, or vulnerable adult, to contact the relevant authorities as early as possible, so that supportive interventions can be made."
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Teen mum Verphy Kudi left baby to starve to death while she went on six-day bender to celebrate 18th birthday
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