"A teen mother broke down in tears today as she was jailed for nine years after leaving her baby to starve to death while she went partying for six days to celebrate her 18th birthday.

Verphy Kudi went to a 1990s music concert in Elephant and Castle and even had a DJ announce her birthday during her days-long jaunt away from home, a court heard.

All the while her 20-month-old daughter, Asiah, was alone in her flat in a 'supported housing' block in Brighton more than 50 miles away.

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Asiah tragically died from influenza and starvation after having been left unattended for five days, 21 hours and 58 minutes, prosecutors said.

When paramedics were finally called to the flat on December 11, 2019 after Kudi had returned, they found her 'incoherent, distressed and distraught' and her daughter lying on the floor.

Kudi, now 19, today appeared in the dock at Lewes Crown Court on Friday for sentencing after pleading guilty to manslaughter.

She broke down in tears as she was jailed for nine years and taken away by court staff.  

Judge Laing said the baby had gone through 'almost unimaginable suffering' before dying alone in the flat.

She added: 'She was a helpless young child and relied completely on you as her mother to proved for her needs.'

She told her Kudi 'grossly abused her trust' and had prioritized her own desires to 'celebrate your birthday and the birthday of friends' rather than the needs of her child. 

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Wearing a black jacket and a face mask, Kudi bowed her head as details of the final days of her daughter's life were read out in the courtroom. 

Prosecutor Sally Howes QC said CCTV covering Kudi's home showed that she had left Asiah alone in the flat for five days, 21 hours and 58 minutes.

Timeline of events

Kudi left Brighton on December 5 and went to London where she spent her birthday with her boyfriend.

  • December 7 she attended a concert in Elephant and Castle and stayed out until 4am.
  • December 9 she moved on to a birthday party in Coventry - 150 miles from Brighton - before returning to London the next day and then home to East Sussex on December 11.
  • Kudi returned to the flat at 3.38pm on December 11 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 dialed emergency services and told the call handler after her daughter was 'not waking up'. 
  • She told paramedics Asiah had been sleeping all day she had given her milk and Calpol and let her sleep. 
  • Ambulance staff arrived at Kudi's Brighton flat and Asiah was taken to the city's Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital but was confirmed dead on arrival.

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Sentencing Kudi, Judge Christine Laing QC said: 'Asiah was alone in that flat for six days - less two hours - unable to do anything to draw attention to her plight.

'She was a helpless child and relied completely on you as her mother to provide for her needs.

'It is almost unbearable to contemplate her suffering in the final days of her life, suffering that she endured so that you could celebrate your birthday and the birthdays of your friends as a carefree teenager.'

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It had been previously been revealed Kudi tried to sell concert tickets on Twitter on the day the baby's body was found. 

Another tweet showed her attempting to become a Pretty Little Thing model months after Asiah's death. 

News article with photos and video evidence