A pregnant woman whose baby survived a 10-storey fall from a Leeds tower block deliberately propelled herself from the window, a coroner has concluded. Mother-of-five Emma Atkinson's daughter was delivered within 30 minutes after she fell from the ninth floor at Shakespeare Towers in the Burmantofts area of Leeds on October 22, 2024.
However, the inquest heard that while Ms Atkinson, 38, who was more than seven months pregnant, deliberately propelled herself through the window, it was not clear whether she intended to take her own life.
What happened
Ms Atkinson had visited her father David Atkinson, a resident on the ninth floor. He told police that his daughter entered the living room, perched on the back of a chair and began smoking a cigarette by the window. In a statement read out during proceedings, he described how she removed the safety catches from the window and opened it fully until it was horizontal.
Mr Atkinson recounted questioning what she was doing and urging her to shut the window due to the cold, to which she replied telling him "not to worry (as) she was just getting some fresh air". Moments later, he heard Ms Atkinson say: "I'm off," before watching her feet vanish through the window. He rushed over to discover his daughter lying on the pavement below.
Investigation and delivery
Detective Constable Emily Parnham revealed that CCTV captured Ms Atkinson's fall from the window at 10.20am, noting she "did not appear to be distressed". The coroner heard how emergency responders attending discovered Ms Atkinson had perished in the fall, with all further medical efforts focused on attempting to save the infant. The baby was delivered through emergency Caesarean section after Ms Atkinson reached Leeds General Infirmary.
The hearing was informed that Mr Atkinson "believes Emma went to the flat with the intention of jumping out of the window to take her own life". DC Parnham confirmed that West Yorkshire Police's investigation concluded there was no third party involvement in her death, nor any suspicious circumstances.
Coroner's conclusion
Coroner Naomi McLoughlin observed that Ms Atkinson had previously struggled with mental health issues and harboured concerns about potential incarceration following a failure to attend court days before her death, connected to a shoplifting allegation. Family members present at the inquest recalled how she was "so excited" about the forthcoming births of her daughter and grandson and "would never have left her kids", stressing that her "life revolved around her children".
Ms McLoughlin concluded that there was not enough evidence to establish whether Ms Atkinson's death was suicide or a tragic accident, recording a narrative conclusion which read: "Emma Atkinson died from a self-inflicted act but her probable intent cannot be ascertained either way." While satisfied that Ms Atkinson had deliberately propelled herself out of the window, she noted: "I have to consider the issue of her intent. I note the deliberate act of removing the safety catches from the window ... and the manner of her falling, captured by the CCTV."
The coroner acknowledged this was weighed against the fact that no concerns had been raised about her mental health in the weeks leading up to her death, and that she had been making plans to visit relatives. Ms McLoughlin paid tribute to Ms Atkinson, describing her as "a much loved woman by all who knew her".
