The mother of a five-year-old boy who fell from his 15th-floor flat has told an inquest his death was "preventable" and he still "could have been here" if the council had fulfilled its responsibilities.
Aalim Ahmed landed on a railing at the base of the residential block in Plaistow, east London, after tumbling from his kitchen window. The youngster died instantly, with his father discovering his body shortly before 6am on 16 May 2024.
Mother's fears over top-floor flat
His mother Sahra Osman told Walthamstow Coroner's Court she was "scared" and "horrified" when Newham Council housed them in the top-floor flat, which was in need of repairs. She told Sandesh Singh, representing the council, "you guys ignored me rather than doing anything about the actual issues".
Ms Osman, who was heavily pregnant with a daughter at the time, moved into the top-floor flat in Jacobs House in February 2023, despite harbouring serious reservations about its suitability for her family, which included Aalim, a toddler and her partner. She had reportedly been advised to move in and raise her safety concerns afterwards, rather than risk becoming homeless by refusing the property.
Faulty window restrictors
Ms Osman believes Aalim, who had autism and "no sense of danger," may have been clambering up to retrieve a biscuit from a cupboard. The windows were fitted with "faulty" restrictors, and her persistent complaints to have them repaired resulted in a succession of workmen who failed to resolve the issue.
During questioning by Mr Singh, Ms Osman grew visibly distressed and spoke forcefully, stating: "I did everything I could as a mum to protect my son." The family identified Aalim's body, and his death has been recorded as multiple injuries resulting from trauma sustained in a "fall from height", the inquest has previously been told.
Council accused of failing family
Ms Osman continued: "You guys could have prevented this tragic thing from happening. If you had done your job, he could have been here." She added: "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."
"I told you my son (Aalim) has autism. I do not know what more I can prove. I showed you a GP letter. The people that knew him sent a letter to the council saying this family need to be moved from this flat because they are not safe." The court was informed she had emailed notification of Aalim's autism diagnosis, with Ms Osman adding she also "believes" she submitted a written letter regarding this matter.
Even after engineers had attended to inspect the necessary repairs, she remained convinced the property posed dangers, with "open windows" present, according to Ms Osman. Every window was "always closed" before the household retired for the evening, but her toddler's frantic cries of "Aalim", "window" and "outside" subsequently warned the family that something was terribly amiss.
Father's nightmare discovery
Ms Osman informed the court that her partner stood at the kitchen window "just crying and screaming in shock" after "he saw his son's pyjamas", adding "he just could not believe it". Aalim's father Makail Ahmed described the moment to the court as one of "disbelief – it was a nightmare." He rushed downstairs and found his son. Neighbours woken by the commotion dialled 999.
Previously, Ms Osman stated that when a window engineer visited in January 2024, she tested "all the windows" in the property and could still open them fully. She had requested a safety device, known as a restrictor, be fitted to every window and observed that the bedroom window remained "just open wide", saying "I was quite scared and it was unsafe".
The engineer indicated he would investigate getting it repaired, but within 24 hours she discovered a window restrictor lying on the floor. She contacted the council to lodge a complaint and pleaded for assistance, explaining to the inquest "the window was wide open, it would not lock, it was hanging", and requested to speak with a manager. She emphasised it posed a safety risk to her children, yet claimed the council failed to classify it as "an emergency".
Ms Osman stated the "restrictors were not working, they were there for decoration" and expressed exasperation that securing a meaningful response from the council could require months. The council maintained the engineer wasn't notified of any restrictor issues in the kitchen, though acknowledged difficulties in the living room. Ms Osman maintained she had informed the workmen about issues throughout every room in the flat and criticised the council for "not taking my situation seriously enough".
She confronted Mr Singh: "If you people did your job seriously and done what you should have my son could have been here. It was preventable. If the council had done their job my son could have been here." She rejected any implication that she might have "forced" the window open to manage sweltering conditions.
In opening remarks, assistant coroner Ian Wade stated: "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.
