Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Holly Bishop

Moment mother who shook three-month-old daughter to death after ‘losing temper’ arrested

Bodycam footage shows the moment a mother who shook her three-month-old daughter to death was arrested.

Kaylani Kalanzi was admitted to hospital on July 8 2024 after she was violently shaken, with an impact to her head. The infant suffered catastrophic brain injuries as well as a broken leg and ribs, and died in hospital two weeks later.

Footage released by the Metropolitan Police shows her mother, Nazli Merthoca, denying any involvement.

Prosecutor Zoe Johnson KC said that Merthoca “lost her temper with the baby after an accumulation of factors,” and that she “challenged” social workers who tried to help her.

Merthoca, 24, of Homerton High Street, Hackney, faced trial over her death, and in October a jury cleared her of murder but found her guilty of the lesser alternative charge of manslaughter. She has been jailed for nine-and-a-half years.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.