A TEENAGE mother who left her baby home alone for six days while she celebrated her birthday has been convicted of manslaughter.
Verphy Kudi walked out on her daughter on the day she turned 18, partying for six days while the baby starved to death.
The 20-month-old was dead when she returned to the flat in Brighton, where she had been housed by social services.
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Little Asiah had contracted influenza. A post mortem examination concluded she died from neglect.
Kudi, now aged 19, entered a plea of guilty to manslaughter.
She spoke only to confirm her name, holding her hands to her face after the charge of manslaughter was read to her.
Kudi, who was wearing a plain black top and black trousers with a blue face-mask, wiped a tear from her eyes as her father looked on from the public gallery.
He sat with his arms crossed throughout the short hearing at Lewes Crown Court. She waved at him from the dock when court staff pointed him out.
Speaking after the hearing, Muba Kudi, 59, said: “My heart is so broken. My daughter was missing. She had been missing since the age of 14.”
Asiah was born on March 22, 2018. She and her mother were housed in a flat in Brighton by social services since September 30, 2019.
They lived at a mother and baby unit and Asiah was under a child protection plan - but there was no social worker assigned when she died.
CCTV showed Kudi left her Islingword Road flat, on December 5, 2019, leaving her daughter hungry and thirsty.
She did not return until December 11 when she called 999 to say her baby would not wake up.
Asiah was pronounced dead on arrival at the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital in Brighton.
A few days later, staff at the mother and baby unit contacted police after reviewing CCTV footage.
Data gathered by Sussex Police showed Kudi had been at parties in London, Coventry and Solihull before returning to Brighton.
Kudi admitted the manslaughter of her daughter between December 4 and 12.
Her Honour Judge Christine Laing QC told Kudi she will be sentenced in May.
A safeguarding review has been launched by Brighton and Hove Safeguarding Children Partnership (BHSCP).
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