Parents blamed for death of buried boy

The parents of a boy whose body was found buried in a garden in Birmingham have been found guilty of his death.

A jury found that Tai and Naiyahami Yashrahayalah, 42 and 43, were responsible for the death of their three-year-old son Abiyah in 2020.

Abijah was buried in the garden of a property where the couple lived in Clarence Road, Handsworth.

Yashrahayalah was evicted in 2022 and police found the boy’s body in December that year.

Both parents had denied neglect, causing or allowing the death of a child and perverting the course of justice.

The court had heard how Abiah died due to a respiratory infection, But this was not the full extent of his poor health.

He was severely malnourished and suffered from many other problems. The extent of her parents’ neglect came to light only after her body was exhumed.

During the trial, the prosecution told the jury that Abiyah died between December 2019 and January 2020 and would have been around three years and nine months old.

The judge, Mr Justice Wall, praised the work of the jury, saying it had been “a long and difficult case”.

The couple showed no visual or audio reaction to the decision.