Appeal court increases sentences of parents who killed their three-month-old son in Wirral

A court in London ruled the original sentences of Klevi and Nivalda Pirjani 'unduly lenient' and increased the minimum terms from 19 and 15 years to 21 years and six months and 17 years and nine months respectively. The application was brought by the Attorney General for England and Wales.

Aziz KarimovFirst published on tafs uz 29 October 2026 at 14:592 min read

The key facts

The Court of Appeal increased the minimum terms: Klevi Pirjani — from 19 to 21 years and six months, Nivalda Pirjani — from 15 to 17 years and nine months
The review was initiated by Attorney General Ellie Reeves, who considered the sentences 'unduly lenient'
The boy suffered 41 bone fractures in at least four separate episodes of violence before the fatal blow on 24 November 2024

The sentence was revised following an application by the attorney general

The Court of Appeal of England and Wales has increased the prison terms of a couple from Wirral (Merseyside) who were found guilty of murdering their three-month-old son Miguel. BBC News reportsthis. In April, Klevi Pirjani, 38, and Nivalda Pirjani, 35, received minimum terms of 19 and 15 years respectively; these now stand at 21 years and six months for Klevi and 17 years and nine months for Nivalda.

Circumstances of the child's death

Miguel was taken to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in November 2024 with a severe head injury and died five days after being admitted. According to the case findings set out in the attorney general's written materials, death followed an assault on 24 November 2024 — a 'forceful blow or series of blows' to the right side of the head. The child was found to have 41 separate bone fractures sustained in at least four distinct episodes, including fractures of the ribs, legs and sternum. After his heart stopped, the parents called an ambulance from their home on Percy Road in Seacombe; medics arrived within two minutes, but the boy never regained consciousness. It was not possible to establish which of the parents delivered the fatal blows — according to the prosecution, this happened 'with the encouragement' of the other spouse.

The parties' positions in court

Attorney General Ellie Reeves referred the sentences for review; her representatives argued that the original terms did not 'meet the justice of this horrific case'. Lord Justice Jeremy Baker, sitting with Justices Goose and Hilliard, said the parents had subjected their son to 'regular' assaults that escalated over time, and that the minimum terms had 'significantly underestimated the aggravating factors'. The defence, for its part, acknowledged the sentences were lenient but insisted that the trial judge had taken all factors into account and had not exceeded the bounds of reasonable discretion: Nivalda's barrister Rupert Bowers KC argued there were no grounds for the appeal court to intervene, while Klevi's barrister Sarah Vine KC said the sentence was 'undoubtedly lenient, but not excessive'. The convicted couple, following the hearing from HMP Wakefield and HMP Styal, showed no reaction as the decision was announced.