A married couple has been convicted of causing the death of their 3-year-old son and burying his remains in the garden of their home in Handsworth, Birmingham.
Tai-Zamarai Yasharahyalah, 42, and Naiyahmi Yasharahyalah, 43, were found guilty on Thursday at Coventry Crown Court of multiple charges including child cruelty, causing or allowing the death of a child, and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
The remains of their 3-year-old son Abiyah were discovered buried in the family’s garden in December 2022. Forensic analysis revealed that the boy had died in 2020 after enduring severe neglect and cruelty.
Medical examinations indicated that he suffered from malnutrition, rickets, anaemia, stunted growth, bone malformations, fractures, severe dental decay, and compromised immunity.
Photographs from mid-2019 showed Abiyah with swollen joints and an unusually prominent forehead, signs consistent with severe vitamin D deficiency.
Wilful Neglect
The court heard that in early 2020, Abiyah fell ill with a respiratory condition. Instead of seeking medical attention, his parents treated him with raw ginger and garlic.
After his death, the couple kept Abiyah’s body in their bed for eight days, performing a “ritual” in hopes he would “come back,” before embalming him with frankincense and myrrh and burying him in their garden.
The court heard that Tai-Zamarai and Naiyahmi Yasharahyalah prioritised their cultural beliefs, including strict dietary practices and a rejection of conventional medicine, over the welfare of their child.
James Leslie Francis, district crown prosecutor of the CPS, said: “Abiyah’s parents deliberately and wilfully neglected him by restricting him to a strict vegan diet and showing a callous disregard for his health and wellbeing. While they were free to behave in a way that damaged their own health, they owed him a duty of care and their actions led to his premature death.
“Afterwards, they buried his body to hide their crime, without notifying the authorities. If his malnutrition and health issues had been treated, it is highly unlikely that he would have died suddenly and unexpectedly at his age.
Belief System
Tai-Zamarai Yasharahyalah, a former fitness instructor, had graduated from Queen Mary University of London, where he studied immunology and how diseases affect genes.He met his future wife, whose original name was Donna Graham, while busking on the street, introducing himself as the “king” of the Kingdom of Yasharahyalah. The couple registered their marriage in September 2015 and subsequently developed a belief system that they claimed incorporated elements of Igbo culture.
Tai-Zamarai Yasharahyalah, who was raised in both Nigeria and Peckham in southeast London, adapted these cultural influences to create a self-styled legal framework he referred to as “slick law.”
Jurors heard Tai-Zamarai Yasharahyalah claim he was unaware of the risks of a strict unsupplemented vegan diet for his son. The court also heard the defendants deny causing or allowing Abiyah to die.
Defence lawyer Bernard Tetlow, KC told the trial the defendants “genuinely believed they were doing the right thing.”
“They genuinely believed that their diet and the belief in natural and holistic medicines was the best way,” he added.
However, according to senior investigator Detective Inspector Joe Davenport, the couple “failed to provide the most basic of care” to their son.
Commenting after the verdicts, Davenport said of Abiyah’s father: “I would describe him as a very arrogant man, a fantasist, and someone who looked to manipulate people.
“And I would say that Naiyahmi, as his one and only follower, was incredibly weak-minded to put her love of Tai-Zamarai ahead of the needs of her own child and the need to please him ahead of the welfare of Abiyah.”
The couple will be sentenced at Coventry Crown Court on Dec. 12.
