Dubai: A nanny, who strangled her sponsor’s 11-month-old daughter in a suspected fit of revenge because she was denied leave, has been jailed for life.

On January 18, the 30-year-old Indian nanny, R.T., waited until her sponsor and his wife had left for work before she strangled and smothered the child with a shayla.

Despite having been accused of carrying out the premeditated murder in what prosecutors called “an act of revenge”, R.T. entered a not guilty plea and strongly refuted her accusations before the Dubai Court of First Instance.

“I did not kill that baby, whom I loved like my own child. I am a mother of two kids and there is no way on earth I could have done such a thing,” said the nanny as she wept when she entered her plea.

Presiding judge Ezzat Abdul Lat convicted R.T. of premeditated murder and sentenced her to life in prison.

“The accused will be deported following the completion of her punishment,” said presiding judge Abdul Lat in courtroom three.

The defendant’s court-appointed lawyer argued that the babysitter did not commit the crime and that she treated the infant well.

The lawyer asked the court to acquit his client or grant her leniency.

The defendant claimed in court earlier that she was tortured while she was being detained.

The accused asked to be acquitted so she could be reunited with her children.

Court records said R.T. waited until her sponsor and his wife had left for work before she strangled and smothered the infant with a shayla. The infant’s British aunt testified that her sister [the baby’s mother] requested her over the phone to go to her house and check on the baby because she was in a bad condition.

“I rushed to the flat within 10 minutes and found her in the nanny’s lap. I received the call at 6.15pm and when I reached the flat, the defendant asked me to check on the girl. The child was breathless or motionless. I called her but she did not respond. I took her in my car and rushed to hospital where I was told that she had died. The defendant remained silent when she sat in the back seat and held the baby while I drove to hospital. Later on I came to know from the police that R.T. had killed the baby. The parents told me that the defendant’s attitude was normal and they did not have any previous disputes. The children also loved her,” said the aunt.

When questioned by prosecutors, the defendant was cited admitting that she killed the child because she wanted to travel home. The babysitter claimed that her sponsor prevented her from returning to her country so she killed the baby to be able to fly back to India.

Records said police informed the father that the nanny smothered his daughter after Dubai Police’s forensic examiner suspected foul play.

Monday’s ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.