A mum from south London who shook her two-month-old daughter to death has been jailed. 

Baby Aissatu Barrie suffered 36 rib fractures, a skull fracture and spinal injuries at the hands of her mum, Raby Diallo, who dropped her from a height and shook her while shouting “be quiet”. 

Aissatu was pronounced dead at their flat on Robsart Street in Brixton on May 19, 2020, after Diallo phoned 999. 

On Monday (December 11) 26-year-old Diallo was sentenced to three years and five months in prison after she pleaded guilty to manslaughter. 

The effect of the sentence is that Diallo will be released immediately on time served, as she has been in custody since she was charged 

Her husband, 37-year-old postal worker Mohammed Barrie, was found not guilty of allowing the death of a child and child cruelty. 

“Poison that kills slowly” 

Diallo moved to the UK on a spousal visa in January 2020, already 33 months pregnant, and in March she gave birth. 

Doctors said that Diallo seemed to be coping well with being a mum, but the reality was very different. 

She was suffering from postnatal depression and was struggling to deal with a lack of sleep, Prosecutor Kate Lumsdon KC told Inner London Crown Court. 

The court was told that Diallo was very isolated, having only recently moved to the UK from Ivory Coast, and this was compounded by the Covid-19 lockdown. 

On April 17 Diallo had Googled “poison that kills slowly” and “deadliest poison in the world”. 

Then the following day she searched “illness that kills newborns”, “what quickly kills a newborn” and “can hand gel be found in blood”. 

On May 16 Diallo conducted another internet search, this time asking “how long before you change colour after death”. 

Prosecutors said this was evidence of disordered thinking rather than a genuine intent to kill Aissatu. 

Judge Justice Murray said Aissatu’s death was caused by at least three incidents in which Diallo shook or dropped her. 

On one occasion, when Aissatu was crying, Diallo shook her while shouting “tais-toi” - be quiet. 

The judge added that Diallo was immediately remorseful after each incident and had not realised the extent of the damage she was causing to her baby. 

36 rib fractures 

On May 19, the day Aissatu died, Mr Barrie had left for work at 6am. 

By 8am Diallo had phoned 999 as Aissatu was not breathing. 

Paramedics found Aissatu on a sofa in the living room sofa, not breathing or moving. 

Despite repeated attempts to resuscitate, Aissatu was pronounced dead at 9.18am. 

There were no visible injuries and the death was initially treated as not suspicious, until a routine postmortem a few days later revealed she had a 13cm fracture to her skull. 

This led to a forensic examination which revealed further injuries including 36 rib fractures, spinal fractures and damage to her brain. 

Pathologists revealed she had suffered injuries in at least 3 incidents, the most recent being just hours before her death and the earliest taking place two to three weeks before. 

These injuries were consistent with the baby being shaked and dropped from a height onto a hard surface. 

Diallo later admitted shaking Aissatu roughly on several occasions and dropping her from height into her cot, where there was an exposed piece of metal.   

“She undoubtedly loved that baby” 

Defending Diallo in court, Matthew Serratt KC said Diallo came to the UK after she married Mr Barrie, who she had met on the internet in 2018. 

Mr Serratt explained that Diallo was a woman who had a difficult childhood which left her in many ways unequipped to face the challenges motherhood posed her in May 2020. 

Her and Mr Barrie had met on the internet and after a short courtship they got married. 

Of the relationship, she said: “I was kinda rushed because I saw an opportunity to leave home and improve my prospects.” 

When she arrived to the UK she found herself isolated and lacked social support, made worse by the lockdown. 

This compounded her post-natal depression. 

Despite all this, Mr Serratt said: “She undoubtedly loved that baby.” 

Judge Murray described it as a tragic case and sentenced Diallo to three years and five months in custody.