Jailed: Telford mother attacked baby daughter and left her with brain damage

Sarah Ngaba, aged 27 and of Briarwood, Telford, will serve a minimum term of nine years and eight months behind bars.

She failed to call an ambulance and waited more than two hours to take her baby to hospital after attacking her at an address in Brookside on November 13, 2019.

When she arrived at hospital, the baby was unresponsive and doctors discovered several serious injuries which were consistent with a severe assault.

Initially, Ngaba gave the medical staff the impression that she did not know why her baby was unresponsive. However, just before her police interview, she admitted she had struck her baby but did not intend to injure her.

She then repeatedly lied during the course of the police investigation, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

One year on from the attack, Ngaba was convicted of causing grievous bodily harm with intent on her seven-week-old daughter resulting in life-threatening and life-limiting injuries. She was then sentenced at Stafford Crown Court this week.

Warren Stanier of the CPS said: "By her actions, Sarah Ngaba has permanently destroyed the quality of her baby's life. Her baby was left with severe disability and will be entirely dependent on others for the rest of her life.

"Despite having inflicted catastrophic injuries on her child and knowing immediately that the child needed urgent medical attention, she was indifferent and did not call an ambulance. She waited more than two hours after the assault before presenting the baby at the hospital.

"Throughout the investigation, she repeatedly lied and changed her account many times. She even tried to pin the blame on the baby’s father, who was not present at the time of the assault.

"Sarah Ngaba has been sentenced for the crime she committed. Rather than caring for her baby, she chose to inflict devastating injuries on her. She has received a long prison sentence during which she will have the time to reflect on the severity of her actions.

"I hope this sentencing sends a message to parents who abuse their children that the CPS will prosecute such cases vigorously."

Detective Inspector Jo Whitehead. from West Mercia Police's vulnerability team in Telford. added: "This is a significant custodial sentence for such an incredibly distressing case.

"Ngaba displayed the total opposite behaviour to that which would be expected of a caring mother.

"Her horrific actions have resulted in her daughter’s future quality of life sadly being permanently diminished."