Baby killed amid parents' 'toxic relationship'

Herbert Kalanzi and Nazli Merthoca are on trial at the Old Bailey

A three-month-old baby was killed while caught in the middle of her parents' toxic relationship despite coming to the attention of social services, a court has heard.

Kaylani Kalanzi was on a child protection plan when she was admitted to hospital on 8 July 2024 having been violently shaken, jurors were told. She suffered catastrophic brain injuries as well as a broken leg and ribs, and died 15 days later.

Kaylani's parents Herbert Kalanzi, 35, and Nazli Merthoca, 24, from East Ham, east London, deny murder and causing or allowing her death.

Opening their Old Bailey trial, prosecutor Zoe Johnson KC said the defendants were in a "mutually abusive relationship", with Ms Merthoca using drugs.

'Spiralled out of control'

As a result, Kaylani was vulnerable to her parents' inability to put her first and protect her from harm, jurors were told.

Ms Johnson said that both of them knew the other "posed a real risk" to Kaylani.

As the couple's relationship "spiralled out of control", their baby was "caught up in the middle of it", the prosecutor told jurors.

In the weeks before her death, Kaylani suffered an injury to her right eye, which Ms Merthoca blamed Mr Kalanzi for, although she changed her account when she spoke to medics, the court was told.

Mr Kalanzi always denied being responsible for the injury, claiming it was an accident.

Ms Johnson said: "In itself the eye injury was minor but it is a graphic example of the defendants' inability to care properly for Kaylani and their failure to take action to protect her from harm and remove her from danger.

"On 8 July 2024 the ever-present risk to Kaylani became a fatal reality."

'One of them is lying'

That evening, the defendants were both responsible for their daughter's care, although their accounts of who was looking after her differ, the court heard.

They both deny causing Kaylani's injuries, at Ms Merthoca's grandmother's flat in Homerton, Hackney, east London, where the family was staying.

Ms Johnson said: "One of them is lying. One of them did it. But only they know who the culprit is."

The prosecutor told jurors the primary issue for them to consider who was responsible for shaking Kaylani.

The trial continues.