A little girl will have to grow up without a mum thanks to her evil dad's "brutal" and murderous attack.
Nigel Diakite launched a "terrible and unprovoked assault" on 20-year-old N'Taya Elliott-Cleverley after she planned to leave him. He strangled her to death with a skipping rope in bed, while the couple's then four-month-old baby was sleeping in a cot next to them.
Diakite, then 19, claimed he couldn't remember carrying out the killing at their Wavertree home - despite confessing to it afterwards. That meant Miss Elliott-Cleverley's family had to endure an agonising trial.
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The killer blamed mental health problems and even accused his victim of assaulting him. But a jury unanimously rejected Diakite's shameful lies and found him guilty of murder.
Speaking after the verdict was returned, Detective Chief Inspector Paul Speight, of Merseyside Police, slammed the now 20-year-old killer and paid tribute to Miss Elliott-Cleverley's grieving family. He said: "This was a terrible and unprovoked assault which led to the death of a young mum in her own home.
"N'Taya's family and friends have been left devastated, not only by her loss, but by the brutal manner in which she died. Their agony has also been compounded by the fact that N'Taya's daughter has also been left without a mother or a father.
"Diakite denied any knowledge of being responsible for N'Taya's death and forced her family and friends to sit through the distressing ordeal of a trial. I am pleased that the jury saw through his lies and found him guilty and he will now serve a substantial sentence for his actions.
"I would like to take this opportunity to praise N'Taya's family for their dignity and composure through what has been a very difficult time. I know that no length of sentence will ever bring N'Taya back, but I hope it means that her family can finally move on with their lives knowing that justice has been served and Diakite will be behind bars for a long time."
Liverpool Crown Court heard Diakite was previously accused of assaulting his partner in October 2020. However, the next day, after police had visited their Prince Alfred Road home and recorded the young mum's allegations on bodycam, she made a retraction statement.
Miss Elliott-Cleverley decided she and her baby would move to a new flat without him and, late on Thursday, January 28, 2021, was texting her mum about the arrangements. But after midnight Diakite struck, beating his girlfriend, before leaving a WhatsApp voicemail message with a friend, in which Miss Elliott-Cleverley could be heard in the background "breathing heavily".
This harrowing piece of evidence was played to the jury, leaving members of the victim's family sitting in the public gallery in floods of tears. Prosecutors said Diakite then decided to "finish it" - as he later told a friend in a recorded phone conversation - by strangling his partner to death.
Senior Crown Prosecutor, Angela Rowan, of Crown Prosecution Service Mersey Cheshire, said Diakite - aka Mohammed Diakite - was a "manipulative" liar. Ms Rowan said: "This young woman's life came to an end in the most violent manner. N'Taya Cleverley-Elliott was the victim of a brutal, merciless and sustained attack.
"Despite making confessions to his friends after the killing, Mohammed Diakite's defence during the trial was that he couldn't remember anything of these events. Mohammed Diakite is a manipulative and brutal liar who killed his girlfriend because he believed she was making plans to leave him.
"She was trying to start afresh after months of his controlling and abusive behaviour. Unfortunately, he took away any chance that this young woman had to make a new life. On behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service, I would like to pay tribute to the courageous and dignified way N'Taya's family and friends have conducted themselves during the entire legal process.
"They have had to hear the most traumatic evidence relating to their beautiful daughter during the trial. They did this with the utmost dignity. I would also like to express my gratitude to the team at Merseyside Police who have helped us bring this murderer to justice."
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Diakite, of Prince Alfred Road, Wavertree, will be sentenced on Monday, March 21. High Court judge, Mr Justice Stephen Morris, directed that the asylum seeker, from the Ivory Coast, must attend court for that hearing.
DCI Speight said: "Merseyside Police is committed to working with our communities and partners to tackle violence against women and girls. We will continue to do all we can to identify offenders and make our streets safer for women who live and work in our communities.
"My message to anyone suffering abuse, in any form, is please do not suffer in silence. Violence against women and girls should never be tolerated or dismissed and by coming forward with what you know means we can take positive action against offenders. You are not alone and there is a lot of help available, both via Merseyside Police and our partner organisations, so please take that first step.
"As a society we need to take a strong stance against women and we will continue to work with our partners. If you need further help we can also talk to other agencies who can give you the ongoing support, advice and guidance you need.
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"We have increased the number of officers in our specialist domestic abuse teams and have also used domestic violence prevention notices, as well as the Domestic Violence Disclosure Schemes (DVDS), also known as Clare's Law, which gives someone in a relationship 'the right to ask' for information from various agencies, including the police, about a partner's previous convictions, cautions, reprimands or final warnings for any offence of violence.
"I would also encourage neighbours and friends of those that are suffering from abuse to speak up. Trust your instincts - if something you've seen or heard doesn't feel right, it probably isn't. By knowing the signs of abuse, you could help a friend, colleague or family member. Domestic abuse isn't just physical – it can be emotional, physical, sexual, financial or controlling behaviour."
Anyone with information can contact @MerPolCC, 101 or @CrimestoppersUK, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
If someone is in immediate danger they should dial 999 and speak to an operator, but police also accept that openly speaking is not always an option.
The Silent Solution is a service which means a vulnerable person can call 999 and alert police, by pressing '55'. This will indicate that help is needed and police officers will respond.
