A mother has been sentenced to nine years and six months in prison for the manslaughter of her three-month-old daughter, after a court heard she lost her temper with the infant.
A Premature Birth and a Child at Risk
Nazli Merthoca gave birth to her daughter, Kaylani Kalanzi, prematurely. The newborn spent her first 29 days in hospital before being allowed home on 13 May 2024. However, the Old Bailey was told that social services had identified Kaylani as being at risk even before her birth, and she had been placed on a child protection plan.
Prosecutor Zoe Johnson KC explained that Merthoca was in a mutually abusive relationship with the child's father, Herbert Kalanzi. Before they could take custody, the parents had to prove they were fit, with Mr Kalanzi agreeing to attend a fatherhood programme. Ms Johnson stated the strategy was doomed to fail, and the ever-present risk to Kaylani became a fatal reality on 8 July 2024.
The Fatal Night and a Concealed Crime
The couple called emergency services just before 10.30pm from Merthoca's grandmother's flat in Homerton, east London, reporting that Kaylani had stopped breathing. When paramedics arrived, Merthoca failed to tell them the crucial truth: she had violently shaken the baby.
This act caused catastrophic bleeding to the brain, damage to Kaylani's eyes, and fractures to her tibia and ribs. Admitted to hospital with these devastating injuries, Kaylani died 15 days later.
According to staff at Great Ormond Street Hospital, Merthoca became upset when questioned about the events and claimed she was being blamed due to her race and gender. The prosecutor said Merthoca had challenged social workers instead of accepting their help prior to the tragedy.
Mitigation, Trial, and Sentencing
Benjamin Aina KC, defending, outlined the significant challenges in Merthoca's life, including suffering physical abuse as a child, entering the care system at 12, and subsequent grooming by older men alongside reliance on cannabis and alcohol. He also spoke of her grief over Kaylani's death.
Following a trial in October, a jury cleared Merthoca of murder but found her guilty of manslaughter. Jailing her on Monday, 15 December 2025, Judge Mark Lucraft KC described the baby's death as the loss of a precious life.
The impact of the death of Kaylani will be felt by many, he told Merthoca. You will have to live with the knowledge that you killed your daughter.
Herbert Kalanzi, who was also on trial accused of causing or allowing Kaylani's death, was cleared by the jury.
