A couple from west London have pleaded not guilty to murdering their three-year-old daughter, who prosecutors allege was deliberately starved to death over many months.
Court Hears Details of Emaciated Child
Jaskiret Singh Uppal, 36, and Manpreet Jatana, 34, appeared via video link from prison at the Old Bailey on December 16, 2025. They denied charges of murder, manslaughter, causing or allowing the death of a child, and child cruelty.
The court heard that their daughter, Penelope Chandle, was found in a severely emaciated state by police on December 17, 2023. Her body was wrapped in a sheet and showed bruising on her neck.
Prosecutor Philip McGhee stated the Crown's case is that the defendants mistreated Penelope over an "extended period of time" and "deliberately starved" her, leading to her death. A post-mortem examination concluded the cause of death was malnutrition.
Isolation and Alleged Attempted Cremation
The court was told the family's diet consisted of yoghurt, lentils, and butter. It also emerged that the couple had failed to register Penelope's birth, provide her with GP care, or any form of education, as they had "isolated" themselves.
Marks on the little girl's neck were found to be consistent with the use of bindings, and injuries to her hands were likely inflicted by a sharp object like a knife.
When Penelope died, it is alleged her parents initially considered cremating her body in the back garden of their home in Hayes, west London, before contacting a funeral director. The couple, who met at university, were unemployed and lived in a house belonging to Uppal's father.
Trial Date Set for 2027
The trial is scheduled to begin on January 11, 2027. The case follows another recent tragedy where a three-year-old boy, Abiyah Yasharahyalah, starved to death on a restrictive vegan diet in Birmingham.
In that earlier case, the boy's parents were jailed after his body was discovered buried in their garden. A post-mortem revealed he suffered from rickets, anaemia, and deformed bones due to chronic malnutrition.
The prosecution in the Hayes case will seek to prove that the parents' actions, including the alleged starvation and isolation of their child, directly led to her tragic and preventable death.
