Sanam Navsarka murder trial: Toddler left alone to die

Jan 15 2009 By Andrew Jackson

zahbeena navsarka

LITTLE Sanam Navsarka was left alone and in pain on the day of her death – while her mum and partner went to register themselves with a doctor.

A jury at Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday, (Jan 14), that the two-year-old was alone for up to two hours at her home in Riddings Road, Deighton, on May 8 last year.

Her mother, Zahbeena Navsarka and her partner, Subhan Anwar, had gone to register with a GP, while the little girl lay close to death from more than 100 injuries they are alleged to have inflicted on her.

Navsarka and Anwar, both 21, both deny murder.

Anwar denies a charge of causing or allowing the death of a child. Navsarka has admitted an alternative charge of failing to protect Sanam.

But prosecutor Julian Goose QC told the jury both were responsible for Sanam’s murder.

He said: "Whether it was one, or the other, who actually inflicted the injuries, by doing nothing to help her or save her over a four-week period up to her death amounted to encouragement and support for all of the violence that took place. They were, we say, both in it together."

It was not until the evening of May 8 that Anwar rang 999, claiming Sanam was not breathing after being left alone in the bath for 10 minutes.

The couple claimed they had found Sanam underwater.

Prosecutor Julian Goose QC said: "Sanam had been in a great deal of pain and distress over a long period leading up to her death.

"By the time that the 999 call was made on May 8 Sanam had stopped walking, she had difficulty breathing and she had two fractured legs and both of her arms had been fractured."

It is alleged that Anwar even filmed a mobile phone video of her having a convulsion, caused by her injuries.

The jury was shown footage of Sanam taken on a mobile telephone.

The first clip, filmed on April 25 2008, showed Sanam, with her dark hair in pigtails, as "a normal two-year-old child".

Mr Goose said a later clip, filmed in the days before her death, showed Sanam having a convulsion.