Miguel Pirjani was left with numerous broken bones and a bleed on the brain after being ‘systematically abused’ by his parents Klevi and Nivalda Pirjani
12:32, 23 Mar 2026Updated 15:16, 23 Mar 2026
Nivalda Santos Pirjani and Klevi Pirjani were found guilty of murdering their baby son Miguel Pirjani(Image: Merseyside Police)
A couple have been jailed for life for the murder of their own 13-week-old baby. Klevi and Nivalda Pirjani were found guilty of murdering their infant son Miguel Pirjani, who died in November 2024 after being “systematically abused” by his parents.
The tiny youngster was left with numerous broken bones and a bleed on the brain, having seemingly been subjected to repeated assaults during his tragically short life. The husband and wife later sought to blame one another for his death, with the mum even alleging that the dad had “lost control” before headbutting and kicking their son.
Both returned to Liverpool Crown Court in order to be sentenced today, Monday, after being unanimously convicted of murder by a jury of six men and six women in October. Appearing in the dock wearing a beige turtle neck jumper and glasses, Nivalda Santos Pirjani was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 15 years and three months behind bars.
Sitting to her right, Klevi Pirjani, who was said to have referred to Miguel as a “monster” and “it”, was meanwhile told that he must serve at least 19 years before having any chance of release. He appeared to be wiping away tears as he learned his fate, closing his eyes and hanging his head at one stage before taking of his glasses and rubbing his eyes.
Nivalda meanwhile showed no reaction, sitting with her arms folded as she was jailed for life. Klevi also looked to his left towards his wife at once stage before he was taken down to the cells, while she remained facing forwards.
Sentencing, Mr Justice Baker, the High Court judge who presided over their trial, told them: “The best of medical science could not save Miguel Pirjani. He died from the irreversible effects of a severe trauma to the head and neck. He suffered that trauma, I am sure, shortly before 11.57am on the 24th of November 2024. Precisely how long before, I cannot say. He died at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital on the 29th of November 2024 after the withdrawal of life support.
“Miguel was 13-and-a-half weeks old when he died, born on the 27th of August 2024. You, Nivalda Santos Pirjani and Klevi Pirjani, were his parents, and you killed him by what must have been an act of appalling violence, intending him to suffer really serious harm. It is possible that you intended to kill him to be rid of him, but I am not sure that was your intention, since you made a prompt 999 call for an ambulance.
“I am sure that the fatal trauma Miguel suffered involved a heavy blow or series of blows to the right side of his head with violent oscillation of his head, pivoting on his neck. Precisely how that was inflicted, I cannot say. Whether there was a single blow to the head, or several blows, I cannot say. Whether Miguel’s head was battered onto a hard, unyielding surface or some hard, blunt object was battered onto the side of his head, I cannot say.
“I cannot even say, for sure, which of you did that to Miguel. I think it more probable that it was you, Klevi, because, as Miguel was passing away in hospital Nivalda said to him, ‘I should have protected you’, and I think that may have been her genuine sentiment.
“I cannot say precisely when and how Miguel was fatally battered, shortly before that 999 call, or even be sure about which of you fatally battered him, because only you two know. You have chosen not to tell anyone, and I can only make findings of fact if I am sure of them from the evidence.
“Therefore, what exactly happened to Miguel that morning remains the guilty secret of a warped relationship in which you came first for each other to an unnatural degree. The interests of Team Klevi Nivalda… you put before those of Miguel, with the most severe consequence possible.
“His death was a battered baby death at both of your hands, since the jury was sure that, whichever of you delivered the violence, it was violence encouraged, intentionally, by the other of you, both of you intending Miguel to suffer at least grievous bodily harm. The fatal assault on the 24th of November 2024 was not a one off incident that came out of the blue for whichever of you did not commit the violence.
“There must have been an escalation in the severity of the violence against Miguel during the final few days, culminating in the fatal assault on the 24th of November. It did not matter which of you inflicted those prior serious injuries or which of you launched the final, fatal assault on Miguel, because you were in this together, encouraging each other and jointly intending that defenceless infant boy to suffer really serious harm.
“I do not consider it realistic to say, as was submitted on your behalf, Nivalda, that your role was subordinate to Klevi’s. It was an abuse of power and a gross abuse of the bond of trust between a baby and its parents.
“I consider there to be no mitigation available to you, Klevi. There is nothing in your personal circumstances or the circumstances of your offending under count four to lessen the seriousness of that offence in your case.
“I acknowledge the difficult start you had in your own life, with a childhood in Albania affected by armed conflict and the death of your father and young sister in quick succession. However, I do not consider that offers any reason to reduce what would otherwise be the proper sentence for what you did to Miguel in your early 30s, in your settled adult life in Liverpool.
“In your case, Nivalda, there is mitigation. You were of previous good character. You were suffering from post natal depression, and you were isolated and somewhat vulnerable, estranged from your own family.
“I do not accept the further claim made on your behalf, or the evidence that you gave, that you were yourself the victim of domestic abuse by Klevi of violence and controlling behaviour. I am sure you were lying to the jury about that. The only victim here was poor Miguel.
“Finally, you have shown a measure of remorse through your parting words to Miguel and through some of what you said to the jury from the witness box. That remorse is rendered a little shallow by your determination, nonetheless, to fight your trial which extended, I am sure, to significant elements of invention to try to limit your criminal liability.”
The ECHO previously reported that Klevi Pirjani called 999 shortly before midday on November 24 2024 to report that Miguel was unresponsive. Peter Wright KC, prosecuting, told the court: “He told the operator that Miguel just stopped breathing. Curiously, he referred to his son as it. ‘It just stopped breathing’. It is a matter for you to consider in due course as to whether this was a product of distress on his part, a language barrier or an unintended indication of his attitude towards Miguel.”
Emergency services thereafter attended the family home on Percy Road in Seacombe, Wirral, “within minutes” and found the baby in cardiac arrest. While paramedics were able to recover a pulse, he was subsequently taken to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in an “extremely serious” condition.
Doctors subsequently discovered that Miguel had sustained bruising on the left side of his head, while a CT scan found a fissure to his skull and bleeding on the brain, in addition to fractures to his right collarbone, left upper arm and left shin. These broken bones were said to have been of varying age, with Mr Wright saying of this: “The inevitable conclusion to be drawn from the injuries was that Miguel had been subjected to a course of conduct in which serious and obvious injuries had been sustained.”
Miguel remained in an unconscious state over the coming days, although his injuries were ultimately found to be “irreversible”. He remained on life support until November 29 2024, when he died following the removal of artificial ventilation.
Mr Wright added during the prosecution’s opening: “At the time of his passing, his mother was permitted to hold his hand. Whilst present, she was heard to say ‘I should have protected you’.”
A post mortem examination later revealed further injuries, including retinal haemorrhages, displaced skull bones, bleeding on both sides of the brain, bleeding around the cervical cord and a fatal hypoxic ischaemic brain injury. Under interview, Nivalda Pirjani gave a prepared statement to detectives in which she described Klevi as being abusive and violent.
The 34-year-old added that she did not blame her partner for Miguel’s injuries but said “she was frightened of him and feared what he may do”. She also went on to repeat her claim that her husband was the one responsible for looking after Miguel.
But Mr Wright said of this account: “We say her account is a fiction, calculated to conceal her own involvement in these events and to infer that any responsibility for the injuries sustained by Miguel and his death are the sole responsibility of her partner Klevi. We say they were in it together from the start.”
When he was questioned, Klevi Pirjani disputed Nivalda’s claims and said that no concerns had been raised during previous appointments with healthcare professionals. The 37-year-old also queried whether Miguel’s rib fractures could have been caused by resuscitation efforts.
Mr Wright added: “The evidence demonstrates that the injuries to Miguel’s ribs were of varying ages. Some had been inflicted in advance of the 24th of November. Any fractures later found were, in the opinion of the Home Office forensic pathologist, not consistent with CPR. Each of the injuries found, whether fatal or non-fatal, were, in his professional opinion, non-accidental in origin.
“We say that Miguel was systematically physically abused by his parents. They caused him really serious non-fatal injury with intent so to do. They caused or allowed his death.”
In her evidence, Nivalda Pirjani told the court that she met her husband and co-defendant online in 2014, when she was living in Kirkby and he was residing in Birmingham, before they moved in together in 2016.
But she said: “I’ve always been scared of Klevi. I was scared of Klevi trying to do something to me, because Klevi can be violent, aggressive, lose control. He [would] give a slap and beat me, on the face and on my body.”
Asked whether she had previously tried to leave the relationship, Pirjani said: “Klevi stopped me all the time. Shouting, frightening, scaring me. I just tried to run away from the house. He tried to be aggressive with me, lost control, shouting and tried to beat me as well.”
Miguel was then born on August 27 2024 and spent the first six weeks of his life in hospital due to medical issues. Pirjani went on to detail how she had attempted to breastfeed her son but he “didn’t take it”, and that he was instead fed by bottle and tube.
While she stated that the latter was the “best way to try and feed him”, Klevi reportedly “didn’t like it, because he wanted Miguel fed by bottle like a normal baby”. She also recalled that her husband would “get angry” if Miguel was struggling to feed and, on occasion, would “probably give a slap on Miguel or bang his head on Miguel”.
Pirjani described how Klevi had slapped the baby on his back with “very strong” force or hit his head “by head by head”. Of an incident two days after Miguel was discharged from his initial stay in hospital, she added: “Miguel didn’t take the milk like Klevi wanted. Klevi got angry and lost control and held Miguel by hips and banged Miguel on the bed on the floor at lot of times. I ran to stop Klevi. Then Klevi left and he came back, and he kicked Miguel on the left side of his hips.”
Asked what she had done to intervene, Pirjani replied: “I just stopped Klevi. I didn’t do nothing because I was scared of Klevi. I just took Miguel from his hands, pushed Klevi away.”
Nivalda Santos Pirjani was found guilty of murdering her baby son Miguel Pirjani(Image: Merseyside Police)
Klevi Pirjani meanwhile told the jury that he and Nivalda had a “good relationship, very strong” and denied being violent or controlling towards his wife. The former chef and digger driver went on to describe himself as “the best dad in the world”, saying of the moment that he learned he was going to have a son: “It was a dream for me. My Miguel.”
His counsel Sarah Vine KC put to him Nivalda’s claims that he had assaulted Miguel when he was struggling to feed, but he said: “No, that’s not true. How can I harm my son? Never can I harm my son.”
The defence silk subsequently put to him: “Mr Pirjani, the injuries to your baby son were extensive, devastating and fatal. Did you cause any of those injuries?”
Pirjani then appeared to become emotional as he responded: “How can I harm my son? I never would do that. I love my son so much. My blood, you know. I cared for him, the best treatment for him. I loved him so much.”
In cross-examination, Nivalda’s defence counsel Rupert Bowers KC detailed how Pirjani had previously stood trial before the same court accused of a violent offence in 2016. He had denied this charge but was ultimately convicted by a jury, leading to him conceding: “I was lying. That was 10 years ago. I was very young at the time. I did not say the truth.”
Asked who he had “blamed for it”, Pirjani replied: “I can’t remember details, I think I said Nivalda I can’t remember the evidence that Nivalda gave. I didn’t tell Nivalda what to say.”
Having been accused of being “quite prepared to have his wife lie” on his behalf, Pirjani responded: “Why should I prepare my wife to lie for me? I didn’t say to Nivalda what to say. I didn’t say anything to Nivalda.”
Asked who had caused the injuries that led to Miguel’s death, Pirjani said “I don’t know”. He also said he had not “seen them being caused”, before Mr Bowers put to him: “If it wasn’t you, Mr Pirjani, then who was it?”
Pirjani replied “Nivalda” before adding “I didn’t see”. Mr Bowers continued: “You can’t quite bring yourself to tell that last lie, can you? You did not see, so you say, Nivalda commit any assault on Miguel. And yet you are blaming her, aren’t you?”
But Pirjani said “no, I’m not blaming her”. When Mr Bowers asked “who are you blaming then, who did it?”, he responded: “I don’t know. I haven’t seen. I never seen those injuries. What can I say, if I never seen those injuries? I didn’t do it.”
Mr Bowers went on to reference a text message, sent from Klevi Pirjani to Nivalda Pirjani prior to Miguel’s death, in which he said “I’m feeding your bishe”. While the defendant maintained that the final word meant “hero” in Albanian, it was put to him: “It means monster. It means beast. I’m feeding your beast.”
Pirjani however said “no, that’s not true”. Mr Bowers then alleged that he “didn’t like the fact that Miguel was born with abnormalities and difficulties” to which he replied: “How can you say I didn’t like Miguel if I never missed an appointment? How didn’t I care for my son?”
Mr Bowers then said: “You cared so well for your son that you have no idea how he came by 41 fractures and suffered a fatal blow to the head. Is that right?”
Pirjani responded: “I don’t know where his injuries came from. Of course I loved my son. I did love my son. I loved him.”
Nivalda Pirjani’s account that her partner had “headbutted their son at three in the morning” was then put to him, but he said “no, that’s not true”. Asked whether his wife had “made it up”, Klevi Pirjani stated: “I don’t know sir. That’s not true. She’s lying, yeah.”
Concluding his questioning, Mr Bowers said: “You caused all of those injuries to your son, didn’t you? It was you that got frustrated with your son again on the morning of the 24th of November and you did it again, didn’t you?”
Pirjani responded: “No, never. No. Nivalda was there. How can I harm my son, sir? How can I harm my son? I never harmed my son. No, I never harmed my son sir.”
Klevi Pirjani was found guilty of murdering his baby son Miguel Pirjani(Image: Merseyside Police)
Mr Bowers submitted this morning that Nivalda Pirjani had played a “subordinate” and “effectively encouraging role”, describing her as “a submissive individual, highly suggestible and abnormally compliant”. Ms Vine meanwhile said of behalf of Klevi Pirjani: “His early life was painful and difficult, born in Albania in 1988.
“His father was killed in the civil unrest in 1997. Six months, later his infant sister died. He was no more than nine years old at the time. Whether there is any connection, it is difficult to say. Klevi Pirjani will not see his liberty for many years.”
Detective Inspector Holly Chance, senior investigating officer for Merseyside Police, told the ECHO following the hearing that the case had been “profoundly distressing for all officers and professionals involved”. She added: “Expert evidence showed that injury resulted from significant impact to his head, with further signs of violent and forceful movement consistent with shaking or an action resembling shaking.
“Further medical investigation revealed a deeply disturbing pattern of abuse. Miguel had 39 fractures, including to his ribs, collarbone, arms, and leg, caused two to three weeks before his death, all in various stages of healing. In addition, he had two further fractures inflicted within 48 hours of his final collapse. These injuries demonstrate repeated and serious physical harm inflicted throughout his short life.
“At the time of Miguel’s collapse, only his parents were present. No accidental explanation can account for these extensive and serious injuries in an immobile infant. Both defendants held sole responsibility for his care, and, together, they failed utterly in that duty.
“Instead, they repeatedly caused him significant pain, suffering and, ultimately, his death. This has been an extremely distressing case for everyone involved. The nature of Miguel’s injuries, the vulnerability of the victim and the circumstances of his death have had a profound emotional impact on my officers, medical staff and professionals who have worked tirelessly to secure justice for him.
“Their dedication, despite the emotional toll, has ensured accountability for this horrific crime. Today’s sentencing cannot undo the suffering that Miguel endured, nor the loss of a life that had barely begun, but it reflects the grave seriousness of the offenses committed and stands as a clear message. Violence against the most vulnerable will be met with the full force of the justice system.”