https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13094483/father-smashed-adopted-daughters-head-wall-bad-temper.htmlFather, 33, smashed two-year-old adopted daughter's head against a wall in a 'bad temper' after she squabbled with his 'favourite son' over ice cream as he is jailed for murder
Zahra Ghulami suffered a skull fracture at the hands of Jan Gholami
He claimed she had fallen down the stairs while he was at the supermarket
Judge blasts the father for his attack on the 'vulnerable and defenceless' child
By Jon Brady and James Callery
Published: 07:52, 17 February 2024 | Updated: 13:10, 17 February 2024
A father who killed his two-year-old adopted daughter by smashing her head against the wall lashed out after she fought with his 'favourite son' over ice cream. Zahra Ghulami suffered a skull fracture caused by 'significant impact' at the hands of Jan Gholami, 33, at their home in Gravesend, Kent, in May 2020. He has been jailed for a minimum of 23 years and six months. The girl, who Gholami adopted from Afghanistan, was taken to hospital on May 27, 2020 and died two days later; Gholami sought to claim to jurors she had fallen down the stairs while he was at Tesco. Prosecutor Sally Howes KC told Maidstone Crown Court there had been a 'rivalry' between Zahra and Gholami's son and that the pair had squabbled about going for ice cream before Gholami stepped in and took out his 'bad temper' on the child. Gholami told jurors that she had fallen down the stairs while he was at Tesco and was vomiting when he got home. A disturbing image was shown to the jury of Gholami carrying Zahra to hospital. Jurors convicted Gholami of murder in a majority verdict of 10 to two after deliberating for nearly 20 hours at Maidstone Crown Court on January 9. Gholami, of Oak Road, Gravesend, was also unanimously found guilty of child cruelty and was sentenced to a minimum of 23 years in prison. His wife, Roqia Ghulami, was cleared of murder during the trial but was also found guilty of child neglect unanimously by the jury. The 32-year-old, of Oak Road, Gravesend, was also sentenced to two years in prison at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday. She did not give evidence in court but told police she thought Zahra fell down the stairs. During the trial, Zahra was described as a 'bright, intelligent' child who was 'highly curious' and wanted to find out about everything. Zahra was admitted to the A&E department at Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford on May 27, 2020, during the first coronavirus lockdown. She was later transferred to a hospital in London, but tragically died two days later. The girl's cause of death was given as a severe head injury and skull fracture by Professor Charles Mangham, an osteoarticular pathologist. When he was arrested by police, Gholami produced a receipt from the supermarket in an attempt to prove his innocence. He told officers: 'Why are they taking me to a police station? What have I done? I have enough worries. My child is in a coma. I don't know anything about what happened to the child because I was not at home. I was at Tesco. I don't know what happened.'
He added: 'I am a Muslim. You can't blame me for these things. There are cameras. Whatever happened I was not at home.'
Jurors were told Gholami, originally from Afghanistan, came to the UK in January 2016 while Ghulami was still in Afghanistan with their children. The couple adopted Zahra in 2017 after Gholami's friend, Zahra's father, felt unable to look after her after his wife died in childbirth. This happened when Ghulami was in Afghanistan and the adoption was approved by village elders. In January 2019, Gholami applied for asylum for Ghulami from the UK, and she arrived with the children to join him. The 32-year-old, of Oak Road, Gravesend, was also sentenced to two years in prison at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday. She did not give evidence in court but told police she thought Zahra fell down the stairs. During the trial, Zahra was described as a 'bright, intelligent' child who was 'highly curious' and wanted to find out about everything.
Zahra was admitted to the A&E department at Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford on May 27, 2020, during the first coronavirus lockdown. She was later transferred to a hospital in London, but tragically died two days later. The girl's cause of death was given as a severe head injury and skull fracture by Professor Charles Mangham, an osteoarticular pathologist. When he was arrested by police, Gholami produced a receipt from the supermarket in an attempt to prove his innocence. He told officers: 'Why are they taking me to a police station? What have I done? I have enough worries. My child is in a coma. I don't know anything about what happened to the child because I was not at home. I was at Tesco. I don't know what happened.'
He added: 'I am a Muslim. You can't blame me for these things. There are cameras. Whatever happened I was not at home.'
Jurors were told Gholami, originally from Afghanistan, came to the UK in January 2016 while Ghulami was still in Afghanistan with their children. The couple adopted Zahra in 2017 after Gholami's friend, Zahra's father, felt unable to look after her after his wife died in childbirth. This happened when Ghulami was in Afghanistan and the adoption was approved by village elders. In January 2019, Gholami applied for asylum for Ghulami from the UK, and she arrived with the children to join him.
