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A 31-year-old woman found guilty of the murder of her 2-month-old baby has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 19 years.
Zara Arsalan, from Birmingham, denied the killing of baby Harleen Bains – also known as Bambi – in 2020 after claiming the child had fallen from her lap.
Emergency services were sent to Arsalan's address in West Bromwich on July 23, 2020, where they found the 2-month-old baby with unstable breathing, having sustained had a serious head injury.
Paramedics transported the baby to hospital, where she sadly passed away from her injuries the following day.
However, a post mortem examination found that the child's injuries were not consistent with a fall, insisting the head injury was instead more consistent with coming into contact with a hard surface.
Appearing at Coventry Crown Court on Thursday, Arsalan was told at she would serve at least 18 years and 300 days after she was found guilty last month of her daughter's murder.
West Midlands Police confirmed the baby had sustained multiple skull fractures, bleeding on the brain, fractured ribs and a fractured collar bone.
Detective Chief Inspector Phil Poole said the child "died at the hands of the person who should have been doing everything to keep her safe."
The post-mortem also revealed injuries consistent with shaking.
Following her guilty plea in January, Detective Chief Inspector Phil Poole, from our Homicide Unit, said: “This is an incredibly tragic case. Harleen was only two months old when she died at the hands of the person who should have been doing everything to keep her safe.
“Arsalan has never taken responsibility for her actions. Instead, she has repeatedly lied about what happened to Harleen despite being shown evidence that rejects her claims.
“I want to thank all of the officers involved as I know they were deeply affected by this investigation. They have worked incredibly hard to get justice for Harleen and her family.”