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Dog breeder jailed for murdering girlfriend’s toddler daughter

Kamran Haider attacked Nusayba Umar, causing catastrophic brain injuries, at his home in Ilford, east London, September 2019.

30 March 2022

An unlicensed dog breeder has been jailed for at least 20 years for murdering a 16-month-old girl.

Kamran Haider, 39, attacked Nusayba Umar, causing catastrophic brain injuries, on September 13 2019.

The toddler’s mother, Asiyah Amazir, called 999 and wrongly claimed her daughter had fallen ill on a bus, the Old Bailey heard.

Nusayba, who weighed just 17lb, was taken to hospital and died four days later.

Jurors heard that Haider had a history of violence, attacking a former girlfriend and abusing her children to “teach them a lesson”.

He had denied being responsible for Nusayba’s injuries but was found guilty of murder and child cruelty by a jury following a trial.

On Wednesday, Haider failed to attend court as Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb jailed him for life with a minimum term of 20 years.

The judge also sentenced him to 18 months for cruelty, to run concurrently.

Mrs Amazir had said in a statement: “Nusayba was subjected to the most horrible experiences at the hands of this man towards the end of her life.

“I will never forget the events that led to her death for as long as I live. I vividly remember the things she suffered, and that noise she made on the last day of her life will haunt me forever.”

Kamran Haider court case
Violent Kamran Haider, 39, was found guilty of murdering Nusayba Umar (Metropolitan Police/PA)

Detective Chief Inspector Larry Smith, from Scotland Yard, described Haider as a “controlling and violent man” who was “prone to bouts of extreme aggression and violence”.

He said: “Nusayba bore the brunt of that violence on the day she was entrusted in Haider’s care and she suffered an attack that would lead to the end of her life.”

During the trial, Edward Brown QC had said Nusayba’s death was caused by “violent shaking” and impact at Haider’s home in Ilford, east London.

Mrs Amazir, from Newham, east London, met Haider through a dating website and effectively moved in to help with his dog breeding business, jurors heard.

Just over a fortnight before the fatal attack, Nusayba allegedly suffered a separate head injury while in the care of the defendant.

Haider told Mrs Amazir that Nusayba had fallen over in the kitchen while he was in the garden feeding his dogs.

He went on to become increasingly threatening towards mother and child, it was alleged.

He put Nusayba in a corner, hit her on the hand during “time out”, and made her adopt various “stress positions”, Mr Brown said.

If Mrs Amazir tried to intervene, he would slap her, the jury was told.

Haider also accused Mrs Amazir of being too soft, telling her Nusayba would “grow up to be a pussy”.

On the day of the murder, Mrs Amazir heard Haider tell her daughter to “shut up”, followed by a slapping sound and “yelp”.

When Nusayba began having a fit and Haider suggested to Mrs Amazir that she take the youngster to her home to “relax”, jurors heard.

Instead, Mrs Amazir called an ambulance from the bus stop at the end of the road and Nusayba died days later in hospital.

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