Boy's grave in Birmingham garden was marked by specific detail, court told

Tai-zamarai Yasharahyalah, aged 42, and Naiyahmi Yasharahyalah, 43, are accused of causing or allowing the death of their young son Abiyah whose body was discovered buried at Clarence Road in December 2022

The grave of a boy buried in a Birmingham garden was marked by a piece of material tied to a nearby tree, a court heard. The remains of Abiyah Yasharahyalah were found around 80cm down in the ground and covered by a slab and a handful of flowers.

The discovery was made at an address in Clarence Road, Handsworth in December 2022, nearly two years after it was believed he died aged three years and nine months, a jury was told. Tai-zamarai, 42, and Naiyahmi Yasharahyalah, 43, stand trial at Coventry Crown Court where they deny causing or allowing the death of a child.

READ MORE: Couple who had 'strict vegan diet' buried 'malnourished' child in garden, trial told

They have also pleaded not guilty to wilful neglect, child cruelty and perverting the course of justice. Prosecutor Jonas Hankin KC, opening the case, said a forensic archeological examination took place at the garden between December 12 and 15, 2022.

He said: "It was the afternoon of the 14th of December that the examination revealed a wrapped skeleton of the remains of a child, approximately 0.7 to 0.8 of a metre below the ground. These were the remains of Abiyah Yasharahyalah. They were carefully removed and sent for examination."

A number of images of the Handsworth address were shown to the court. Mr Hankin pointed out that the doors and window frames had been painted black. Moving on to photographs of the garden he continued: "Notice a piece of material tied around the tree. The defendants say they tied that to mark the grave for them.

"A slab had been placed above the bones. Some flowers had been placed here as well. Having removed the flowers and cleaned the surface exposed the slate.

"You see a long bone of a human being. Suffice to say it was not a complete skeleton. But a large part of a skeleton was recovered and sent for examination."

The court was told most of the bones were aged between three and four years old while some were aged at one to two years. The jury was told Abiyah was born on April 2, 2016 and so he would have been around three years and nine months, if he had died in January 2020 as his parents have claimed.

A post-mortem examination found he had a number of healed broken bones which had fractured a matter of weeks before his death. There was also evidence of rickets, anaemia, dental disease and severe malnutrition.

Mr Hankin told the court a pathologist concluded Abiyah's unexpected death could have been triggered by a virus. He said: "If a child is severely malnourished they have a poor immune system and poor growth. Both of those things lead to increased susceptibility to infection, for example from a virus, also pneumonia and meningitis."

The prosecutor added the cause of death was recorded as 'unascertained due to decomposition' but he told the jury malnutrition 'could have contributed more than minimally to his death'. It has been alleged the defendants 'prioritised cultural beliefs and practises over their child's welfare with disastrous consequences'.

The court has been told they described themselves as 'indigenous', had withdrawn from conventional society, rejected Western medicine and adhered to a strict vegan diet. The jury has also heard they were evicted from Clarence Road over rent arrears and moved to a shipping container before coming to reside in a caravan in Glastonbury.

Proceeding.