The family of a woman who left her baby to starve to death have revealed their hearts are “broken” following the horrific incident.
Verphy Kudi was convicted of manslaughter after leaving her 20-month-old baby daughter home alone for six days while she celebrated her 18 th birthday.
The teen, now 19, appeared in court where she admitted causing the death of the infan who, it was heard, died as a result of neglect.
Our sister title The Mirror reports how, following the hearing, Verphy Kudi's father Muba Kudi said his 'heart is so broken' over the death of his granddaughter.
He told the Daily Mail: "My heart is so broken. My daughter was missing. She had been missing since the age of 14."
Her sister Aisha Batrane added: "This whole situation has completely broken my family. It might be entertainment for the rest of the world but it's totally shattered us."
Aisha said Verphy had been estranged from the family for quite a long time and that they had minimal contact with her.
She said it is still not clear to them why she left for those six days, adding that the family now wants to be left alone to grieve.
Verphy Kudi's 20-month-old daughter Asiah Kudi died at an address in the East Sussex city in December 2019.
She was taken to Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital but was confirmed dead on arrival.
A post-mortem examination and forensic tests found that Asiah's death was the result of neglect.
Kudi appeared in the dock at Lewes Crown Court on Friday morning wearing a face mask.
She had been due to stand trial later this year but formally entered a guilty plea to a charge of manslaughter on Friday.
Judge Christine Laing QC told her: "You have heard that before I get to sentence you the defence want to get a report on your behalf and a doctor will no doubt make arrangements to see you and interview you over the next few weeks."
She ordered that all social services records relating to the case be disclosed to the defence ahead of sentencing.
The case was adjourned to a provisional sentencing date of May 28, but Kudi was warned this may be delayed.
Senior Investigating officer, Detective Chief Inspector Andy Wolstenholme, said: "This was a particularly distressing case for my team and me to investigate, and has caused great sorrow amongst Verphy's family and the many agencies that have supported Verphy and Asiah.
"We note the guilty plea entered in this case, and continue to prepare for Verphy's sentencing in May."
