A mother suffering from paranoid schizophrenia has been handed an indefinite hospital order for killing her ten-year-old daughter Shay Kang, in a case that has exposed gaps in child protection and mental health intervention.
Jaskirat Kaur, 33, who admitted to manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility, stabbed her sleeping daughter eleven times in the chest at their Rowley Regis home on March 4, believing she was being targeted by “lasers and technology.” Hours later, she called police stating simply: “My kid is dead.”
Judge Michael Chambers KC emphasized the tragedy’s scope during sentencing: “The enormity of what you have done is difficult to comprehend. Shay had her whole life before her. She appeared as a happy and contented girl. That was the appearance she gave to the world, but sadly the reality of life at home was very different.”
The case revealed multiple missed intervention opportunities. In the year preceding Shay’s death, police and social services had repeated contact with the family. A January 2023 police visit recommended Kaur seek help for paranoia, while a September visit noted Shay appearing nervous and struggling to communicate. A child-in-need plan was implemented in November, though Shay had previously told teachers she spent time alone at home, where she and her mother occupied separate rooms and “did nothing and went nowhere.”
Shay’s godmother, Kayleigh Colclough, who housed mother and daughter during Shay’s first five years, described the child as “an old soul – special, advanced, clever, funny.” While acknowledging Kaur’s past trauma, Colclough expressed disappointment with the manslaughter plea: “I wanted it to go to trial. I just think it’s the easy way out.”
Brickhouse Primary School, where Shay was a Year 5 pupil, remembered her as a “bright, happy, fun-loving child who was well-liked by all.” The school’s pastoral officer and head teacher arranged her funeral, saying they were “honoured” to “give her the send-off she deserved.”
Sandwell Children’s Safeguarding Partnership has commissioned an independent review to examine potential learning opportunities from the tragedy. Kaur, who showed no emotion during sentencing, had previously told detectives she harbored plans to kill her daughter for seven months, stating: “I would kill her again. I wanted her to die, I don’t regret it.”
