Man who murdered girlfriend's baby jailed

MAN WHO MURDERED GIRLFRIEND'S BABY JAILED

A man received a life sentence with a minimum term of 20 years after being convicted of murdering his girlfriend’s 16-month-old daughter.

In 2019, Kamran Haider, aged 39, inflicted severe brain injuries on Nusayba Umar, who subsequently passed away in hospital four days later.

Hailing from Ilford in east London, Haider had a documented history of violence towards former partners and their children.

Haider, who was an unlicensed dog breeder and had met the mother, Asiyah Amazir, through a dating website five weeks prior to the incident, did not attend his sentencing at the Old Bailey.

Despite denying responsibility for Nusayba’s injuries, the jury convicted him of murder and child cruelty during the trial held on Monday.

During the sentencing hearing, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb sentenced Haider in his absence to life imprisonment for the murder, with a minimum of 20 years, and an additional 18 months for cruelty, to run simultaneously.

Jurors learned that Haider had a history of violence, including attacking a former girlfriend and subjecting her children to abuse to "teach them a lesson." The court was also told that Ms Amazir, from Newham, moved into Haider’s home to assist with his dog breeding enterprise.

Initially, she had few concerns about Haider’s behavior although court assessments described him as "snappy" and "verbally aggressive." However, about two weeks before Nusayba’s tragic death, she suffered a separate head injury while with Haider.

The court heard that Haider became increasingly threatening towards both mother and child as time went on.

On the day Nusayba was fatally harmed, Ms Amazir heard her crying.

Haider reportedly told her to "shut up, Nusayba," following which a slapping sound was observed.

She then heard Nusayba "yelp," and although the girl had no visible injuries, she soon experienced a seizure.

Ms Amazir took her daughter from Haider’s house, called emergency services from a bus stop, and rushed her to hospital.

Initially, she told paramedics that Nusayba had fallen ill during a bus ride.

Despite medical efforts, the 17-pound toddler died four days later from injuries caused by "violent shaking" and impact, as determined by the investigation.