The mum found guilty of the manslaughter of her eight-year-old daughter along with her lover has been sentenced to 13 years in jail.
Polly Chowdhury, 35, cried as she was sentenced at the Old Bailey on Friday while her lover Kiki Muddar, who was jailed for 18 years, appeared defiant.
The pair were found guilty of the manslaughter of Chowdhury’s daughter Ayesha Ali on Wednesday, after a month-long trial at which the jury was out for nearly a fortnight. They were cleared of murder.
Little Ayesha was found dead in her bedroom in Bedwell Court, Broomfield Road, Chadwell Heath, on August 29, 2013, with more than 50 injuries including bites, carpet burns and bruises.
During the trial, it emerged that Muddar, 43, led a campaign of abuse which escalated in the six months leading up to Ayesha’s death.
It included punishing Ayesha for bed-wetting and not finishing meals on time and making her list “good” and “bad” behaviour.
Sentencing the pair, Judge Christopher Moss QC said: “Ayesha was subjected to a life of cruelty and misery that defies belief – this was a dreadful and horrible case of unbelievable cruelty.”
He also described their actions as a “form of torture” and said Muddar cynically manipulated Chowdury.
“Kiki Muddar, you bear the lion’s share of responsibility,” he said. “You came into that family and tore it apart. You manipulated the child’s mother in a way that only be regarded as despicable.”
Speaking in defence of Chowdury, Ali Bajwa QC said Muddar treated her like a “puppet”.
Muddar created 15 characters to influence Chowdhury into killing her own daughter.
This included fictional Muslim spirit “Skyman”, who text Chowdury saying Ayesha would cause the death and rape of friends and family.
It also encouraged Chowdury to send explicit images of herself to Muddar, promising Allah would forgive her.
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