Mother convicted of killing baby Kaylani Kalanzi, father cleared

An east London woman has been found guilty of killing her three-month-old daughter.

Kaylani Kalanzi – who had been known to social services before she was born – died after sustaining catastrophic brain injuries, a broken leg and broken ribs in July 2024, having been violently shaken.

During their Old Bailey trial, the jury heard Kaylani’s parents were “selfish and irresponsible”, putting their abusive relationship above their child’s needs.

On Tuesday, Nazli Merthoca, 24, was cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter, while her partner Herbert Kalanzi, 35, was cleared of murder, causing or allowing Kaylani’s death and failing in his duty to protect her.

The parents, from East Ham, both denied wrongdoing and did not give evidence at their trial.

Merthoca wiped away tears in the dock as she was remanded into custody to be sentenced on 15 December.

Previously for the prosecution, Zoe Johnson KC told jurors that Merthoca had consumed drugs and was in a “mutually abusive relationship” with Mr Kalanzi.

Kaylani had been born prematurely and spent 29 days in the special care baby unit at North Middlesex Hospital before being allowed home on 13 May 2024.

Social services had contact with the family and allowed the defendants custody of Kaylani after they demonstrated they were fit parents, jurors heard.

Mr Kalanzi had agreed to attend Caring Dad, a programme aimed at engaging fathers to enhance the safety and wellbeing of their children.

But the prosecution asserted the defendants’ relationship was so damaged that the social services strategy was “doomed to fail”.

Ms Johnson told jurors the “ever-present risk” to Kaylani became a “fatal reality”.

Shortly before 22.30 BST, the defendants called emergency services saying Kaylani had stopped breathing.

When paramedics arrived, Merthoca failed to inform them that Kaylani had been shaken – an action causing bleeding to the brain, damage to her eyes and fractures to her tibia and ribs, the court was told.

Staff at Great Ormond Street Hospital noted Merthoca had become upset at being questioned about what happened, and had claimed she was being blamed because of her race and gender.

Both defendants denied harming Kaylani at Merthoca’s grandmother’s flat in Homerton, east London, where the family was staying at the time.