My baby granddaughter died home alone after her mum Verphy Kudi left her while she partied for five days – I’m haunted
THE grandma of a baby girl who died home alone when her mum left her to party for five days has told of her horror.
Asiah Kudi was just 20 months old when she was found dead in her cot at a Brighton flat back in December 2019.
The tot was suffering with the flu before succumbing to dehydration and starvation.
A court later found mum Verphy Kudi had left her daughter alone for nearly six days while she went and partied for her 18th birthday.
And in August 2021 after allowing Asiah to deal with "almost unimaginable suffering", Kudi was jailed for nine years following a guilty plea of manslaughter.
Grandma Asia Batrane has since broken down recalling the tragedy.
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An inquest heard how Asiah was left alone in the flat at least a dozen times - something Ms Batrane said if she knew about she would have stepped in and helped.
Heartbroken, she said: "The idea of her being alone in the flat haunts me today.
"There is no question if I knew she had been left alone I would have gone to the flat picked her up and brought her home."
Ms Batrane said Asiah, who was also known as Nevaeh, had "beautiful dark brown eyes" and was "such a blessing".
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She said: "When she was born everyone fell in love with her instantly. She had the most beautiful dark brown eyes.
"Even if she was doing something naughty, when I looked into her eyes I just gave in. It was impossible to be angry with her.
"I was there for many of Naveah’s ‘firsts’. I was there when she took her first steps. When she learned how to clap, I cried.
"On her first birthday, we made such a fuss over her. We rented out and decorated a big hall.
"There were three cakes and the whole family came. It was like a wedding.
"Everybody wore clothes to match her pink and purple dress.
“Everyone bought her cakes and toys. She was so spoiled.
"She made a very big impact on our family especially because she was the only little one. She really was the centre of everyone’s attention.
"She was such a blessing to our whole family. She reminded us what it is to love so unconditionally.
"It was the biggest celebration we had for her. Nobody knew that she was not going to be here for long.
"Naveah’s family, myself, her grandfather and her aunties loved her with everything we had.
"We are struggling with her loss. We miss her every day."
We are struggling with her loss. We miss her every day
Asia Batrane
Ms Batrane did not know the identity of the Asiah’s father or how her daughter became pregnant, the hearing heard.
She said: "I was worried about how she got pregnant and whether she would be able to take care of her baby.
"I had many conversations with her about responsibility of having having a baby. I told her it was her choice and I would support her either way.
"When she said she wanted to have a baby I decided in that that moment that whatever happened even if she wasn’t able to take care of her baby because of her age I would take over and take care for the baby."
Kudi gave birth to Asiah in March 2018 aged 16.
The teen mum and baby were under the care of social services and put into a supported housing unit.
The YMCA-run block of flats in Brighton had staff onsite 24 hours a day - who all thought Kudi was a capable and loving parent, a safeguarding review found.
On December 5, 2019, Asiah was left in her cot with no food or water.
Kudi travelled to London, Coventry and Solihull - more than 150 miles away - to celebrate her 18th birthday with pals.
On the day her daughter died Kudi was on social media trying to sell concert tickets and attempting to launch her own modelling career.
The trial heard she returned to her flat when Asiah had been home alone five days 21 hours and 58 minutes - but did not call emergency services for more than two hours.
In that time she was seen emptying bags into a communal bin area before going back to her flat.
She eventually dialled 999 at 6.06pm and told the call handler after her daughter was “not waking up”.
She told paramedics Asiah had been sleeping all day after giving her milk and Calpol.
Asiah - who paramedics noticed had signs of rigor mortis - was rushed to hospital where she was pronounced dead
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The trial heard that in the three months leading up to her death there were at least six other occasions where Kudi left Asiah alone in the flat - with one time being for two whole days.
The inquest into Asiah death, which is expected to last five days, continues.
