Couple Jailed For 44 Years After Starving And Burying 3-Year-Old Son In Back Garden

A couple who starved their three-year-old son and buried his malnourished body in their garden have been sentenced to a combined 44 years in prison for what prosecutors called “breathtaking” neglect.

Tai Yasharahyalah, 42, and Naiyahmi Yasharahyalah, 43, were handed sentences of 24.5 and 19.5 years, respectively, by Coventry Crown Court on Thursday, December 12. Their son, Abiyah, died in 2020 from a respiratory illness exacerbated by severe malnutrition.

The couple had isolated themselves from mainstream society, adhering to a strict vegan diet and creating a unique belief system blending New Age mysticism and West African religion. Instead of seeking medical care, they treated Abiyah’s illness with garlic and ginger, leaving him to succumb to his condition.

The court heard that the parents, who were described as “extremely thin” upon their arrest in December 2022, had denied their son adequate food and medical care. Abiyah suffered from rickets, anemia, stunted growth, and severe dental decay. At almost four years old, he was dressed in clothing meant for an 18-month-old when buried.

Jurors were told that after Abiyah’s death, his parents kept his body in their bed for eight days before burying him in an 80cm-deep grave at their home in Handsworth, Birmingham.

During sentencing, Justice Wall condemned the couple’s actions, describing it as one of the worst cases of neglect the court had encountered. “Abiyah died as a result of your wilful neglect,” he said. “You each played a part in starving him and failing to seek medical care when it was clearly needed.”

The judge acknowledged that there was no evidence of deliberate physical harm but criticized the couple for denying their son access to medical care and nutrition due to their “misplaced ideological reasons.”

The couple, who married in 2015 and changed their names from Donald Nnah and Donna Graham, had created their own “kingdom,” following a strict diet of nuts, raisins, and soya milk. They viewed their way of life as a religion, shunning modern medicine and mainstream societal norms.

Prosecutors revealed that the couple had moved off-grid, living in various unconventional accommodations, including a shipping container and a caravan.

A post-mortem examination of Abiyah’s remains was unable to confirm the exact cause of death but revealed multiple fractures likely sustained weeks before he died, as well as signs of severe malnutrition and untreated ailments.

Prosecutor Jonas Hankin KC described their parenting approach as “breathtaking arrogance and cruelty,” accusing the couple of driving their family into conditions more commonly seen in the developing world.

The couple’s lifestyle had drawn attention from authorities before their arrest. Police had visited their property multiple times between 2018 and 2022 but failed to intervene effectively.

The couple was ultimately arrested while living in a caravan in Glastonbury. Their actions, according to the prosecution, highlight a tragic failure to provide even the most basic care for their child, leading to an avoidable and heart-wrenching loss of life.