Parents found guitly of causing the death of their three-month-old child. They staged a scene to cover up the abuse

The parents of a three-month-old baby girl have been found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child after they staged her death on an east London bus.

Rosalin Baker, aged 25, and Jeffrey Wiltshire, aged 52 were recently found guilty of causing or allowing the death, or serious physical harm of their three-month-old daughter Imani Wiltshire.

Detective Chief Inspector Gary Holmes, from the Homicide and Major Crime Command, says Baker and Wiltshire orchestrated the most devious of plans in an attempt to cover up the abuse that had been inflicted upon their daughter Imani.

Imani, who was born prematurely at 28 weeks on 2 June 2016, had been incubated and ventilated for the 65 days she spent in hospital, with Baker only visiting her daughter on 22 occasions and Wiltshire never visiting. Imani was finally discharged on 5 August 2016 and detectives believe that the abuse began soon after.

According to the Metropolitan Police, at around 09:25hrs on Wednesday, 28 September 2016 Baker entered a convenience store in Church Road, E12, with Imani strapped in a sling and her face covered with a cloth. During court proceedings Baker admitted that Imani was already dead at this point. The cloth was used to cover Imani’s face in order not to draw attention to the fact she was dead as well as to hide a significant injury to her right eye and a visible head injury. Baker topped up her Oyster card and left shortly afterwards.

Moments later Baker was joined by Wiltshire who helped her board a Route 25 bus heading towards Bow Church. As the two parted ways Wiltshire gave Baker the thumbs up and it is this detectives believe was the signal to begin the ruse. The scene was captured by CCTV cameras.

As Baker took a seat on the lower deck of the bus she began to use her mobile phone. Approximately 20 minutes into the journey Baker looked at her daughter for the first time. She then turned round and beckoned a female passenger over. The woman made her way over and Baker told her that Imani had stopped breathing. The woman immediately took Imani and tried to provide medical assistance. When she realized that Imani was not responding the bus driver was alerted and another passenger called the London Ambulance Service (LAS) and the police.

Source: Metropolitan Police

A second woman attempted to conduct CPR and when it became apparent that attempts to save Imani were futile a number of the passengers became distressed. Many of the passengers mistook one of the women who had provided medical assistance for Imani’s mother given how much anguish she was in, while Baker sat in her seat emotionless.

One of the women who assisted recalled that when she tried to give CPR she noticed that Imani’s lips were cold and that Baker remained on the phone the entire time attempts were made to save her daughter’s life.

The bus was stopped in High Street at the junction with Carpenters Road, Stratford and police and the LAS attended. Imani was taken to an east London hospital where she was pronounced dead. Medical professionals noticed that Imani was cold to the touch and that onset of Rigor Mortis had begun.

A special post-mortem examination took place at St Thomas’ Hospital on Friday, 30 September and the cause of death was determined as a head injury. Tests also identified that Imani had at least 40 separate injuries across her tiny body, including several fractures to her ribs, head and wrist which were all consistent with non-accidental injury.

Baker and Wiltshire were arrested in connection with Imani’s death. On 29 September 2016 Baker gave a prepared statement in which she stated ‘she was in shock’ and that she ‘loved her baby and never hurt her’ and that Imani had a fall a few days previous but Baker thought she was fine.

Baker and Wiltshire were found not guilty of murder and both were remanded to appear in court in May.