A teenage mother who left her baby to starve to death while she was out celebrating her birthday has admitted manslaughter. Verphy Kudi’s 20-month-old daughter Asiah Kudi died in a supported housing block in Brighton with no food or water in December 2019.
Kudi went on a six-day trip to mark her 18th birthday, leaving the baby alone in her Brighton flat, a court heard. CCTV showed she left her Brighton flat on December 5, 2019, and did not return until December 11 when she found her baby dead. Sussex Police said Kudi partied in London, Coventry and Solihull, in the West Midlands, more than 150 miles away before coming back to Brighton when she dialed 999 saying her baby would not wake up.
Asiah was taken to Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital but was confirmed dead on arrival. A post-mortem examination and forensic tests found that the baby’s death was the result of neglect. She starved, dehydrated and also contracted influenza in the six days that she was left alone. Kudi, who is now 19, appeared in the dock at Lewes Crown Court on Friday morning. She had been in prison since being charged in October last year. The Mirror reported that she had been due to stand trial later this year but formally entered a guilty plea to manslaughter.
Judge Christine Laing QC told her: “You have heard that before I get to sentence you the defense want to get a report on your behalf and a doctor will no doubt make arrangements to see you and interview you over the next few weeks.” The judge ordered that all social services records connected to the case be made available to the defense ahead of sentencing.
The case was adjourned to a provisional sentencing date of May 28, but this may be delayed, the court said. Kudi was remanded in custody. Her father, Muba Kudi, 59, said after the hearing: “My heart is so broken. My daughter was missing. She had been missing since the age of 14.”
Kudi and her baby Asiah lived at the flat in Brighton. They had been housed by social services since September 30, 2019. Asiah was born on March 22, 2018. She was under a child protection plan but there was no social worker assigned when she died, reports said.
