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| Parents who caused death of buried boy jailed | Parents who caused death of buried boy jailed |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Tai and Naiyahmi Yasharahyalah were found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child after a trial | |
| A couple whose severely malnourished son's body was found buried in the garden of their former home have been jailed. | A couple whose severely malnourished son's body was found buried in the garden of their former home have been jailed. |
| Three-year-old Abiyah's body was found behind a house in Birmingham, nine months after Tai and Naiyahmi Yasharahyalah's, 42 and 43, had been evicted from the property. | Three-year-old Abiyah's body was found behind a house in Birmingham, nine months after Tai and Naiyahmi Yasharahyalah's, 42 and 43, had been evicted from the property. |
| Last week, the pair were were found guilty of causing the death of Abiyah, whose body was found at the house in Clarence Road, Handsworth. | Last week, the pair were were found guilty of causing the death of Abiyah, whose body was found at the house in Clarence Road, Handsworth. |
| Tai Yasharahyalah was jailed for 24-and-a-half years and Naiyahmi Yasharahyalah was given 19-and-a-half years at Coventry Crown Court on Thursday. | Tai Yasharahyalah was jailed for 24-and-a-half years and Naiyahmi Yasharahyalah was given 19-and-a-half years at Coventry Crown Court on Thursday. |
| During an eight-week trial, the court heard that the couple lived off grid and created their own bespoke belief system based on a mixture of elements that drew from New Age mysticism and West African religion. | During an eight-week trial, the court heard that the couple lived off grid and created their own bespoke belief system based on a mixture of elements that drew from New Age mysticism and West African religion. |
| Abiyah Yasharahyalah would have been about three years and nine months old when he died | Abiyah Yasharahyalah would have been about three years and nine months old when he died |
| After the death of Abiyah, they kept his body inside their home for eight days, before embalming the body using frankincense and myrrh prior to a ritualistic burial in their garden. | After the death of Abiyah, they kept his body inside their home for eight days, before embalming the body using frankincense and myrrh prior to a ritualistic burial in their garden. |
| Sentencing, Mr Justice Wall their son died "as a result of your wilful neglect of him." | Sentencing, Mr Justice Wall their son died "as a result of your wilful neglect of him." |
| He said the three-year-old had a "catalogue of injury and disease" at the time of his death. | He said the three-year-old had a "catalogue of injury and disease" at the time of his death. |
| The couple heard that the judge believed they both realised how unwell their son was prior to his death. | The couple heard that the judge believed they both realised how unwell their son was prior to his death. |
| "I am sure that each of you played a part in starving him and failing to get medical care for him when the need for it was obvious to you," he said. | "I am sure that each of you played a part in starving him and failing to get medical care for him when the need for it was obvious to you," he said. |
| "When Abiyah died you did not call an ambulance or seek any medical assistance in the hope that his life could be saved. | "When Abiyah died you did not call an ambulance or seek any medical assistance in the hope that his life could be saved. |
| "Instead you took his body into the back garden and there buried it." | "Instead you took his body into the back garden and there buried it." |
| During the sentencing hearing, the court heard that Tai Yasharahyalah had been attacked twice in the week since he was imprisoned after being found guilty, including an assault in a holding cell while on his way to Thursday's hearing. | During the sentencing hearing, the court heard that Tai Yasharahyalah had been attacked twice in the week since he was imprisoned after being found guilty, including an assault in a holding cell while on his way to Thursday's hearing. |
| Tai and Naiyahmi Yasharahyalah were arrested at a caravan in Somerset | Tai and Naiyahmi Yasharahyalah were arrested at a caravan in Somerset |
| During the trial, jurors were told the couple were evicted from their Birmingham home in March 2022 before police found their son's body in December that year. | During the trial, jurors were told the couple were evicted from their Birmingham home in March 2022 before police found their son's body in December that year. |
| After he was exhumed, Abiyah was found to have been in a severely malnourished state and suffered from a list of other health problems at the time of his death. | After he was exhumed, Abiyah was found to have been in a severely malnourished state and suffered from a list of other health problems at the time of his death. |
| These included bone fractures, rickets, anaemia, stunted growth and severe dental decay. | These included bone fractures, rickets, anaemia, stunted growth and severe dental decay. |
| Post-mortem tests failed to ascertain the cause of Abiyah's death, but experts were able to say that if the three-year-old died from a respiratory illness, as described by his parents, the effects of malnutrition would have been a "more than minimal" cause of his death. | Post-mortem tests failed to ascertain the cause of Abiyah's death, but experts were able to say that if the three-year-old died from a respiratory illness, as described by his parents, the effects of malnutrition would have been a "more than minimal" cause of his death. |
| Both parents had denied neglect, causing or allowing the death of a child and perverting the course of justice. | Both parents had denied neglect, causing or allowing the death of a child and perverting the course of justice. |
| The Kingdom of Yasharahyalah | The Kingdom of Yasharahyalah |
| A sign on the front door of their couple's home in Handsworth, Birmingham | A sign on the front door of their couple's home in Handsworth, Birmingham |
| During the trial, the court heard that Tai Yasharahyalah had styled himself as the head of a fictional country for which the couple made their own passports. | During the trial, the court heard that Tai Yasharahyalah had styled himself as the head of a fictional country for which the couple made their own passports. |
| The couple claimed to have renounced their citizenship and he was called "King" by his wife and her family for a period of time. | The couple claimed to have renounced their citizenship and he was called "King" by his wife and her family for a period of time. |
| Tai Yasharahyalah, a former medical genetics student before quitting the field, invented his own laws, and claimed to have established his own kingdom. | Tai Yasharahyalah, a former medical genetics student before quitting the field, invented his own laws, and claimed to have established his own kingdom. |
| Their beliefs saw them eat a restrictive vegan diet, which saw all members of the family fall into a state of malnutrition. | Their beliefs saw them eat a restrictive vegan diet, which saw all members of the family fall into a state of malnutrition. |
| Mr Justice Wall said the couple cared more about their beliefs than the welfare of their child. | Mr Justice Wall said the couple cared more about their beliefs than the welfare of their child. |
| "Your motivation for acting as you did was your prioritisation of your distorted system of beliefs over their welfare," he said. | "Your motivation for acting as you did was your prioritisation of your distorted system of beliefs over their welfare," he said. |
| "You were prepared to live with any consequences which flowed from your adherence to these beliefs, including the disability or death of the children." | "You were prepared to live with any consequences which flowed from your adherence to these beliefs, including the disability or death of the children." |
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