Boy's tower block fall death was 'preventable'

The death of a five-year-old boy who fell from a kitchen window on the 15th floor of an east London tower block was "preventable", his mother told an inquest.

Aalim Ahmed landed on a railing at the bottom of Jacobs House in Plaistow, east London, on 16 May 2024. He died instantly and his body was discovered by his father.

Sahra Osman told East London Coroner's Court in Walthamstow she was "horrified" when Newham Council put them in the top-floor flat, which needed repairs, and said the council "could have prevented this tragic thing from happening".

Newham Council said it was unable to comment until after the inquest had concluded.

Osman moved into the flat in Jacobs House in February 2023 while pregnant, despite feeling it was not suitable for her family which included Aalim, a toddler and her partner.

She said she had been advised to move in and complain about her safety concerns, rather than risk being made homeless if she turned it down.

During the inquest, she told Sandesh Singh, representing Newham Council, that she had repeatedly contacted the authority over safety concerns about "open windows" and outstanding repairs.

The court heard Osman had also sent an email to the council disclosing Aalim's autism diagnosis.

"If you had done your job, he could have been here," she told Singh.

"I think that Newham Council failed me as a mum, as a tenant.

"I tried everything. I tried to tell them my concerns about safety multiple times and you guys ignored me rather than doing anything about the actual issues."

Several workmen attended the property but did not properly sort the issues, Osman said.

She had wanted a safety device, called a restrictor, on all of the windows and stressed it was a safety issue for her children, but said the council did not treat it as "an emergency".

The restrictors that were fitted did not work properly, she said.

The council said the engineer was not told of any issues with the restrictor in the kitchen but said there were problems in the living room, but Osman said all the rooms had issues.

Osman said she thought Aalim, who had "no sense of danger," may have been climbing to get a biscuit from a cupboard close to the window when he fell.

She denied any suggestion that she may have "forced" the window open to cope in hot weather.

Assistant coroner Ian Wade said: "One of the things I bear in mind is the horrendous loss borne by Aalim's family and indeed the community.

"I am very conscious that this should never have happened but how it happened remains to be seen."

The hearing continues.

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