LEFT TO DIE
Parents who left dead son, 4, in bed for 8 days then buried him in garden after using garlic to heal illness are jailed
Little Abiyah was found buried in the garden of their former home
VILE parents who left their dead son in bed for eight days before burying him in their garden have been jailed.
Tai Yasharahyalah, 42, and wife Naiyahmi, 43, left their four-year-old son Abiyah "severely malnourished" before his tragic death.
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Tragic Abiyah had suffered from rickets, anaemia, stunted growth, bone malformation and deformity in his short life.
His parents kept him in their bed for eight days after his death as part of a warped "ritual".
The couple, who were themselves described as weak and thin due to a strict vegan diet, fell into a "spiral of conspiracy" in which they believed their son would be reincarnated.
Abiyah was then buried in an 80cm grave-deep at the rear of their then-home.
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Tai and Naiyahmi, neither of whom worked, made £80-a-month from bizarre videos in which they can be seen dancing with meat cleavers.
One clip showed the pair dancing while dressed as warriors and brandishing the fearsome weapons.
They also rejected modern medicine in favour of herbs and superstition and had cut out all sugars and processed fruit from their diets.
Abiyah's skeletal remains were found buried in the rear garden of the parents' former home in Handsworth, Birmingham, in December 2022.
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He had been buried two years earlier, with subsequent tests revealing he had suffered "severe cruelty and neglect.
The couple were convicted of multiple charges including child cruelty, causing or allowing the death of a child and attempting to pervert the course of justice at Coventry Crown Court last week.
Vegan parents kept dead baby in bed with them for EIGHT days before burying him in garden
Abiyah's dad was today jailed for 24 years, while his mum was jailed for 19-and-a-half.
The couple showed no emotion as they were handed down the sentences.
Mr Justice Wall said the fact the couple had taken no photographs of the boy in the last four months of his life was "a clear sign that you realised by then how sick he was".
Footage released following their conviction showed the moment of Tai's arrest, in which he accuses cops of "trespassing" after they attended his home over child welfare concerns.
He tells officers he and Naiyahmi had "renounced our citizenship" and claimed they "have no power or authority in my realm".
The dad added: "If you have an issue then go and get a warrant. What are you going to do, arrest me? Go on then. Go on then. Go on. Arrest me.";
When officers handcuffed him, Tai confirmed his son's name was Abiyah but refuses to answer when asked where he is.
He ranted: "That's none of your business. Why are you asking me this?"
Tai is said to have fallen into a "spiral of conspiracy" on the internet while studying for a degree in medical genetics.
He also believed embryos were used for anti-ageing creams and thought Covid-19 was a "biological weapon" targeted at minorities.
Coventry Crown Court earlier heard how Abiyah had allen ill with a cold or flu in 2020.
But his parents used raw ginger and garlic to treat him.
He was discovered lifeless the following morning, but his mum and dad kept him in their bed for eight days for a "ritual".
They hoped Abiyah would "come back" before embalming him with frankincense and myrrh.
Their son's body was exhumed two years later, with police discovering his birth and death had not been registered.
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They were later evicted from the property, but left their son's remains in the garden.
When they were eventually found by police in a caravan in Glastonbury.
They had also previously spent time living in a shipping container, the court heard.
However, when approached by officers they said they had renounced their citizenship and were living as "sovereign and indigenous members of the Kingdom of Yasharahyalah".
The couple were observed as being "extremely thin" with their bones visible through their clothing.
Mum Naiyahmi in particular struggled to walk and was described by police as "skeletal".
Jonas Hankin KC, prosecuting, earlier told the court they had "separately and together neglected" Abiyah by failing to provide him with adequate food and medical care.
He said: "They deliberately chose not to provide or arrange for the provision of adequate nutrition and medical care.
"Instead they prioritised their cultural practices and beliefs over the child's welfare, with disastrous consequences.
"The defendants claim that their behaviour throughout was in accordance with their cultural beliefs, principally their strict veganism, and rejection of Western medicine."
Speaking after their conviction, James Leslie Francis, of the CPS, said: “Abiyah’s parents deliberately and wilfully neglected him by restricting him to a strict vegan diet and showing a callous disregard for his health and wellbeing.
"While they were free to behave in a way that damaged their own health, they owed him a duty of care and their actions led to his premature death.
“Afterwards, they buried his body to hide their crime, without notifying the authorities.
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"If his malnutrition and health issues had been treated, it is highly unlikely that he would have died suddenly and unexpectedly at his age.
“Working closely with medical professionals and our partners in the criminal justice system, we were able to prove the full extent of their neglect and today, justice has been achieved."
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