Baby boy died from fractured skull by own parents who called him ‘monster’

A couple will spend the rest of their lives behind bars after murdering their 13-week-old baby son.

Klevi and Nivalda Pirjani have been found guilty of murdering baby Miguel, who died in November 2024 after being abused by his parents

The newborn was left with numerous broken bones and a bleed on the brain after being subjected to repeated assaults.

The husband and wife later sought to blame one another for his death, with the mum even alleging that the dad had ‘lost control’ before headbutting and kicking their son.

Today, Nivalda Santos Pirjani showed no reaction as she was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 15 years and three months behind bars.

Klevi Pirjani was told that he must serve at least 19 years before having any chance of release, wiping away tears as he was sentenced.

Mr Justice Baker told the court even the best of science couldn’t save little Miguel, who suffered severe head and neck trauma.

He told Miguel’s parents: ‘He was 13-and-a-half weeks old when he died. You were his parents, and you killed him by what must have been an act of appalling violence, intending him to suffer really serious harm. I

‘Whether Miguel’s head was battered onto a hard surface or some blunt object was battered onto his head, I cannot say. I cannot even say which of you did that. I think it is more probable that it was you, Klevi.’

The judge chastised the couple for not telling the court which one of them murdered Miguel.

He added: ‘What exactly happened to Miguel that morning remains the guilty secret of a warped relationship where you came first to one another. The interest of Team Klevi and Nivalda came first.

‘It did not matter which of you launched the final fatal assault. You were in this together, encouraging each other and intending that defenceless infant boy to suffer really serious harm.’

The court previously heard how Klevi Pirjani called 999 just before noon on November 24, 2024, telling operators that Miguel had become unresponsive.

Peter Wright KC, prosecuting, told the court: ‘Curiously, Klevi referred to his son as it. ‘It just stopped breathing’. It is a matter for you to consider in due course as to whether this was a product of distress on his part, a language barrier or an unintended indication of his attitude towards Miguel.’

Emergency services found baby Miguel in cardiac arrest in the couple’s home on Percy Road, Wirral. He was taken to the hospital in serious condition, where it was found he had severe bruising and a skull fissure.

Doctors also found bleeding on the brain, in addition to fractures to his right collarbone, left upper arm and left shin. These broken bones were said to have been of varying ages.

Miguel remained on life support until November 29, 2024, when he died following the removal of artificial ventilation.

Under interview, Nivalda Pirjani gave a prepared statement to detectives in which she described Klevi as being abusive and violent, but she said she didn’t blame him for Miguel’s injuries.

When he was questioned, Klevi Pirjani disputed Nivalda’s claims and said that no concerns had been raised during previous appointments with healthcare professionals.

Nivalda recalled that Klevi would ‘get angry’ when baby Miguel struggled to feed, and would slap or ‘bang his head’ on the baby.

Klevi denied assaulting Miguel: ‘No, that’s not true. How can I harm my son? Never can I harm my son.’

Detective Inspector Holly Chance, senior investigating officer for Merseyside Police, said the case had been ‘profoundly distressing for all officers and professionals involved’.

She added: ‘Today’s sentencing cannot undo the suffering that Miguel endured, nor the loss of a life that had barely begun, but it reflects the grave seriousness of the offences committed and stands as a clear message.

‘Violence against the most vulnerable will be met with the full force of the justice system.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Comments Add as preferred source