‘She needs to be buried’: pleas from godmother of 10-year-old girl, whose mother is accused of her murder

Shay Kang was found stabbed to death at a home in Robin Close, Rowley Regis, after police were called to her home at around 12.10am on Monday 4 March.

Her mother Jaskirat Kaur, 33, has been charged with her murder.

Shay’s godmother Kayleigh Coclough has now spoken of wanting to lay Shay to rest, but said she was unable to because coroners needed parental permission to release her body.

Speaking to the BBC, Mrs Coclough said she tried to arrange a funeral for her daughter, but coroners refused to release the 10-year-old’s body without parental consent, with Shay’s father believing he had never met his daughter.

She said: “We are being left in the dark because we are not close relatives.

“She will never grow up, get married and have children of her own.

“I just don’t want her to get a pauper’s grave. She needs to be buried.”

Ms Coclough said the situation was keeping her up at night.

Ms Coclough said Shay and her mother lived with her for five to six years after Ms Kaur had to leave shared accommodation, with the two sharing parenting duties.

She described Shay as “such a lovely baby, so happy and bubbly”, and said she struggled to sleep and had lost three stone (19kg) since Shay’s death.

The 10-year-old’s death has caused a massive outpouring of grief across the community, with a GoFundMe page raising more than £8,700 for her funeral and also for charities and memorials in her name.

Dozens of tributes have been left at Robin Close, the street where Shay was found, including bears and balloons.

Shay was a pupil at Brickhouse Primary School, which paid tribute to the “bright” child in a statement released by West Midlands Police a day after she was found dead.

The school said: “Shay was a bright, happy, fun-loving child who was well-liked by all and will be greatly missed by everyone.

“The school is the heart of the community and we have already started working with our children and staff to support them in the wake of this devastating news.”

Her mother Jaskirat Kaur, also known as Jasmine Kang, was remanded in custody charged with murder and appeared before Wolverhampton Crown Court via video link to HMP Foston Hall on March 7.

She was remanded in custody for a plea and trial preparation hearing on August 30.