Mother who bought lottery ticket after killing her baby daughter in fit of rage jailed for life

A mother described as “callous and uncaring” has been sentenced to at least 12 years in prison for killing her seven-week-old daughter by smashing her skull in a fit of rage.

Sarah Ngaba was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 12 years and 154 days. The judge presiding over the case described Eliza Ngaba’s murder as “the culmination of increasingly hostile behavior” towards the baby.

Ngaba was found guilty of murder at Birmingham Crown Court last month. Jurors heard that severe injuries, including severe concussion and a blow to the head in November 2019, contributed to London-born Eliza’s death from infection in August 2022.

Ngaba, formerly of Briarwood in Brookside, Telford, Shropshire, was previously jailed for 14 years for wounding in connection with the same incident in 2021 and was subsequently charged with murder after Eliza’s death.

The 32-year-old man tried to hide his actions by lying to paramedics and police. CCTV footage shows him visiting a shop to buy lottery tickets before taking Eliza to hospital by taxi on 13 November 2019.

Sentencing Ngaba, Mrs Justice Brunner praised Eliza’s “exceptional” foster parents, Laura and Gary Haynes, who provided a “stable and caring home” and brought “so much love and happiness” to the child’s life.

The foster parents shared a statement expressing their deep love for Eliza and how they miss her “bright and sunny nature” every day.

Addressing Ngaba in the courtroom, the judge criticized him for booking a taxi to take Eliza to hospital, thus delaying crucial medical aid and failing to maximize his daughter’s chances of effective treatment.

Judge Brunner ruled that Eliza’s head was likely to have hit the wall and told Ngaba: “The distribution of injuries indicates that this was not a momentary attack. The reason for your loss of temper is unclear. The outcome of the attack was immediate disaster.”

“It was immediately obvious that Eliza had serious injuries, but you continued to act callously. You deliberately delayed and deliberately concealed Eliza’s dire condition. Instead, you placed your own interests above hers.”

The judge noted the unusual aspect of the case in that Ngaba had already served six years and 211 days of a 14-year prison sentence for wounding; this period was subtracted from the 19-year minimum prison sentence required for murder.

In mitigation, Gordon Aspden KC told the court that Ngaba had joined the Anglican community while serving at HMP Foston Hall in Derbyshire, where the chaplain described him as a model prisoner and that he “never used violence”.

Mr Aspden said: “It is difficult to imagine a more melancholy and tragic case for so many people, especially the victims. We urge the court to grant the shortest possible time.”

Prosecutor Lisa Hancox previously said: “The medical evidence in this case shows that Eliza’s injuries were caused by two distinct and distinct mechanisms: concussion and impact. It is clear that the attack was protracted.”

Ms Hancox added that Ngaba had shown increasing hostility towards Eliza before the attack and that his reaction to the baby’s collapse was “callous and uncaring”.

He concluded: “The prosecution case is that Eliza died as a result of a violent attack inflicted by her mother during what can be described as a loss of control amounting to a tantrum. This was a sustained and aggressive attack on a defenseless baby.”

Following the sentencing, Kate Seal, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “This is one of the saddest cases I have encountered in my eight years as a prosecutor.

“Eliza was only seven weeks old, completely defenseless and dependent on her mother for care and protection.

“Sarah Ngaba horrifically injured a defenseless baby and then did everything she could to avoid responsibility for what she had done. “She changed her narrative repeatedly and only to serve her own interests.

“He initially blamed the cane, then Eliza’s father, and changed his account again when phone records and CCTV proved this was impossible.

“Eliza should have been safe in her mother’s care. Instead, her life was irrevocably damaged and ultimately cut short. Our thoughts are with everyone who loved her.”

West Mercia Police Detective Chief Inspector Lee Holehouse, who is leading the investigation into Eliza’s death, said: “We will never fully understand why Ngaba attacked Eliza when she was just seven weeks old.

“He has shown no remorse throughout our two investigations and continues to take responsibility for the pain he has caused Eliza.

“His new family gave him the life he deserved. He died knowing he was loved and continues to be loved by all who had the pleasure of knowing him throughout his short life.”