'She's not a mother, she's a monster': Evil drug addict who pretended her baby died on bus to cover up catalogue of injuries is jailed for 11 years along with her father-of-25

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A couple who tortured their 16-week-old baby daughter before staging her death on a bus have each been jailed for 11 years.

Father-of-25 Jeffrey Wiltshire, 52, gave girlfriend Rosalin Baker, 25, the thumbs up as she boarded the number 25 in Stratford, east London, with the dead body of little Imani strapped to her chest.

The baby, who had been born prematurely at 28 weeks, was rushed to hospital, but she had already died from a fractured skull and brain injuries similar to those caused in a car crash or a fall from a first floor window.

Imani's wrist was broken by her arm being twisted and she suffered 40 rib fractures when her tiny body was squeezed in her parents' cramped bedsit in Manor Park, east London.

A judge bemoaned the pair's lack of relationship with their child as he jailed them today. 

Judge Nicholas Hilliard QC told Baker: 'You never bonded with Imani. Whether that has any connection with the death of your baby daughter the year before I cannot know, but perhaps it did.' 

Jeffrey Wiltshire and Rosalin Baker have both been jailed for 11 years over the death of their baby daughter which was staged on a London bus in front of shocked commuters

Wiltshire gave Baker a thumbs up as she set off with their already-dead child strapped in a sling

He told her boyfriend: 'You, Mr Wiltshire never went to visit Imani at the hospital at all.

'That accords with a complete lack of interest you showed in her lifetime.'

The pair will serve half of their sentence behind bars, meaning they should be freed in less than six years to serve the rest of the term on licence. 

Baker had claimed Wiltshire had caused their child's horrific injuries before forcing her to get on the bus in a bid to frame her.

Wiltshire denied ever having been violent towards any of his 25 children – two of whom have died – or the 18 women who gave birth to them and said he had no idea how Imani had been killed.

He insisted: 'I'm not a life taker, I'm a baby maker.' 

Last month the pair were acquitted of murder but found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child.

CCTV captured former music producer Wiltshire kissing Baker goodbye and giving her a 'good luck' hand gesture as she hopped on the busy bus after topping up her Oyster card on the morning of 28 September last year. 

The harrowing 999 call made by a fellow passenger who told the operator 'I think she's gone'

The court heard Baker had moved into the London home of Wiltshire and they both took drugs

Baker sat texting on her mobile phone for some 20 minutes before raising the alarm, but remained 'cold and calm' as panicking passengers tried to save her daughter's life.

Experts said Imani, who had weighed just 1lb when she was born, had already been dead for hours when she arrived at Newham General Hospital. 

Former rapper Wiltshire, known in the music industry as 'Pretty Boy Floyd' and 'Pepper Head', had said he was pleased when he discovered Baker was pregnant, declaring: 'I'm still firing'.

But she claimed he dished out savage beatings and said his violence towards her that had brought about Imani's premature birth on 2 June last year.

Baker visited Imani just 16 times over the 64 days she was in hospital, whilst Wiltshire did not visit his daughter once.

On 15 August, Imani was placed on the child protection register when it was noted Baker had not built a relationship with her.

Baker blamed her boyfriend for Imani's death, telling jurors he had also undressed the dead baby, changed her nappy and put her in new clothes

The pair, pictured in a court sketch, were cleared of murder but convicted of causing or allowing the death of their daughter, who was on the child protection register

The judge said: 'Although Imani's life was short the last part of it can only have been terrifying, painful and bewildering.

'Both of you at all times put your own interests ahead of those of a helpless and dependent baby for whom you were responsible.'

'Although the jury could not be sure who was responsible for the head injuries it is safe and sure to conclude, given the extent of the and Imani's vulnerability and helplessness, that whoever did it must have intended to cause her really serious bodily harm.'

He added: 'Within a matter of hours of her death and when you both knew she was dead you embarked on a cynical charade to try and pretend she had simply stopped breathing when she was on the bus with Ms Baker rather than from violence in Mr Wiltshire's flat.' 

'She's not a mother, she's a monster': Fellow passenger who battled to save baby's life slams drug addict parent who let her die

A mother who staged her 16-week-old baby daughter's death on a bus was branded a 'monster' by a passenger who desperately battled to save the child's life.

Rosalin Baker sat on the lower deck of the number 25 texting on her mobile phone for some 20 minutes before beckoning Fjoralba Schmitz to help.

'I touched Imani and she was very cold, at first I did not think anything of it as it was a cold September day but when the baby did not react I knew something was wrong,' she said.

'I took the baby out of her sling and gave first aid for about ten minutes.'

CCTV showed Baker on the bus before she asked Fjoralba Schmitz. Ms Schmitz raced to help, but found Imani had stopped breathing and her face was 'ice cold'

She added: 'I had never performed first aid on a baby before but I knew what I was doing. I blew air into Imani's mouth and pushed onto her little heart but there was no reaction.

'I was in complete shock, it was one of the worse moments of my life. I tried my best but I couldn't do anything to save Imani's life.'

Ms Schmitz said other shocked passengers asked if Imani was her baby as Baker sat using her phone.

'What I don't understand is that the person who is supposed to protect her child did nothing,' she said.

'The events of that day have left me very upset. I don't understand how someone can hurt a little child like that.'

Ms Schmitz said she has been left unable to sleep since 28 September.

'I can no longer take the bus and whenever I see a small baby I always think of Imani. It just breaks my heart,' she said.

'When I think of Baker I can't call her a mother, she is a monster. Both Baker and Wiltshire are the worse kind of people.' 

Premature baby fought for life only for it to be snuffed out by parents

Speaking after the sentence, DCI Gary Holmes said: 'The loss of any child is tragic but to know that baby Imani was tortured and was probably in considerable pain in her last few hours is heart-rendering.

'Imani was a premature baby and from the very moment she was born the odds were stacked against her.

'Despite a challenging start to life she fought to survive but sadly her fight was short lived as she suffered at the hands of the very people who were supposed to love, nurture and protect her.

'Baker and Wiltshire orchestrated the most devious of plans in an attempt to cover up the abuse that had been inflicted upon their daughter.

CCTV images show Baker topping up her Oyster card with her already dead baby strapped to her chest in a sling on September 28 last year

'Their ruse quickly unravelled when medical professionals were able to determine that Imani had probably died up to 24 hours previously and with this overwhelming and compelling evidence charges against the two were swiftly brought.

'The events of that day will have a lasting and devastating impact on the many passengers on board the bus.

'Many of those who stepped in to provide medical assistance were left completely distressed when they realised their efforts to save Imani were futile, not knowing that the entire incident had been staged.

'Baker misled these good Samaritans and gave no thought to anyone but herself as she callously remained on her mobile phone throughout.

'The level of violence and cruelty inflicted on such a young child is something that I have never come across during the course of my career and I hope never to witness anything like this again.

'Baker and Wiltshire were naïve in their thinking and brazenly thought they could get away with such a heinous crime.

'Neither has shown any remorse for their actions and I am pleased with the convictions that have been handed down today. Finally justice has been obtained for Imani.'

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