A father who murdered his adopted two-year-old daughter has been sentenced to life imprisonment.
Jan Gholami, 33, has been jailed for a minimum of 23 years and six months, meanwhile his partner Roqia, 32, has been jailed for two years for child neglect.
Jan and Roqia had adopted Zahra from Afghanistan, where they both had lived before moving to the United Kingdom, but on May 27, 2020, she was taken to hospital with serious head injuries and died two days later.
Her adoptive parents were both arrested on the same day following concerns raised by medical staff.
Officers from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate launched an investigation and both were later charged with murder.
Jan Gholami (pictured), has been jailed for a minimum of 23 years and six months
In 2020 two-year-old Zahra was taken to hospital with serious head injuries and died two days later
The pair pleaded not guilty and during the subsequent trial, Jan stated he had been food shopping and returned home to Oak Road, Gravesend, to find Zahra injured.
He claimed his partner had been at home with Zahra and had found her at the bottom of the stairs, but did not see her fall. Jan said he tried to call for an ambulance but did not understand the questions and Zahra was then taken to hospital by taxi.
Doctors found Zahra had suffered a serious head injury and also noted older injuries, including a skull fracture and a healing fracture to her arm and shoulder blade.
Evidence from medical specialists concluded the fatal injury was likely to have been caused by Zahra being thrown against the floor or a wall. Doctors noted that there was an absence of bruising on Zahra’s legs or arms, which would have been likely from a fall down a flight of stairs.
During the trial which lasted seven weeks, evidence was also presented of previous incidents where Gholami had been violent towards his partner and, as a result, had served a short jail sentence.
Roqia Ghulami, 32, has been jailed for two years for child neglect
At Maidstone Crown Court on January 9 2024, Gholami was found guilty of murder and Roqia Ghulami convicted of child neglect. They were both sentenced at the same court on Friday February 16 2024.
Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Ross Gurden said: ‘Zahra would have thought she was being cared for by people who loved her. She trusted them but she was betrayed in the most brutal way. Gholami inflicted catastrophic injuries on Zahra, and his partner failed to intervene to help her.
‘This was a long and complex trial and I would like to commend the jury who considered all the evidence before coming to their verdict. This outcome can never bring Zahra back but does ensure those responsible for her death have been brought to justice.’