Rosdeep Adekoya: 'Demon' killer mother of Edinburgh toddler Mikaeel Kular could be released after seven years behind bars

An Edinburgh mother who killed her toddler and hid his body in a suitcase could be freed from prison in two months.
Rosdeep Adekoya admitted the culpable homicide of her son, Mikaeel Kular.Rosdeep Adekoya admitted the culpable homicide of her son, Mikaeel Kular.
Rosdeep Adekoya admitted the culpable homicide of her son, Mikaeel Kular.

Rosdeep Adekoya, 40, was jailed for 11 years in August 2014 after she admitted the culpable homicide of her three-year-old son Mikaeel Kular.

But it is understood she could soon be released after spending seven years behind bars.

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Scottish Prison Service insiders have confirmed her earliest release date is May, the Scottish Mail on Sunday reported.

Mikaeel's disappearance from his home in Ferry Gait Crescent, Drylaw in January 2014 rocked the community.

Hundreds of neighbours joined the hunt for the toddler, who was reported missing by his mother.

Coastguards scoured the shores near Cramond and Drylaw while scores of residents searched through the night as temperatures plummeted to find the missing boy.

His body was discovered by police the next day in a suitcase in a wooded area behind her sister’s home in Kirkcaldy and Adekoya was arrested.

Mikaeel Kular was three years old when he was killedMikaeel Kular was three years old when he was killed
Mikaeel Kular was three years old when he was killed

She was charged with murder, but pleaded guilty at the High Court in Edinburgh to a reduced charge of culpable homicide.

The court heard how Adekoya beat Mikaeel after he was sick following a trip to Nando's.

She then kept him away from nursery and failed to call a doctor for three days as he died in agony from 40 separate injuries.

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After sentencing, Mikaeel's devastated father Zahid Saaed said Adekoya should have faced life in prison, branding her a “demon" and a “monster”.

Rosdeep Adekoya pled guilty to the culpable homicide of Mikaeel Kular.Rosdeep Adekoya pled guilty to the culpable homicide of Mikaeel Kular.
Rosdeep Adekoya pled guilty to the culpable homicide of Mikaeel Kular.

Many in the community were angered when the prosecution decided to accept her guilty plea to culpable homicide rather than pursue the original murder charge and 4,000 signed a petition calling for justice for Mikaeel.

Locals who joined in the desperate search for the wee boy were dismayed at the prospect of Adekoya’s release. The Scottish Mail on Sunday quoted neighbour Shazia Chaudry, 40, saying: “Seven years seems nothing to me for what happened to that child.”

Mrs Chaudry, whose son, Zohaib, was 20 months old at the time of the killing, said she was still haunted by the cruelty inflicted on Mikaeel.

“To think about everything that my son has achieved and that has been taken away from Mikaeel, it breaks my heart,” she said.

"Perhaps her behaviour has been exemplary, but I'm thinking from a mother's and the community's point of view.

"My son is thriving, he loves to swim, he loves his football, he enjoys the Xbox and he's got lots of friends. To see him developing over the years, it saddens me to know that got taken away from that boy because of his mother."

Police found that Adekoya had carried out internet searches before the killing, including “I find it hard to love my son”, “I love all of my children except one”, “get rid of bruises” and “why am I so aggressive with my son?”.

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Reports prepared ahead of the court case found she suffered from depression. She was described as party-mad and allegedly left her children alone to go to nightclubs.

Social services were also criticised after it emerged that Mikaeel was twice taken into care but handed back to his mother.

In response to criticism in 2017, Fife Council said: "The central finding of the independent review states that the circumstances that led to Mikaeel's death could not have been predicted.”

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