A five-year-old boy died instantly after falling from a 15th-floor kitchen window in Plaistow, east London, and an inquest heard that more could have been done to make the window safer.
Aalim Ahmed fell from a kitchen window at a residential block shortly before 6am on May 16 2024. East London Coroner's Court heard that Newham Council property manager Nnenna Muoma thought "more restricted features could have been installed" after visiting the Ahmed family that afternoon.
Property manager's observations
In a note to the council after seeing the family, Ms Muoma wrote: "Following the horrible incident and fatality, I visited the family yesterday. The kitchen window from where the child fell off is functional but can be operated by a child, hence the incident. There is (a) restricted feature to allow a limited opening... More restricted features could have been installed to reduce this risk."
She told the court: "That was my personal thought. I have seen other households with children with special needs with different gadgets which can be done to make it safer." Ms Muoma told the inquest she is not an expert in the area and she did not know the window restrictors in place could be locked. A restrictor is a safety device meant to allow the window to only open 50mm-100mm.
Family's complaints and concerns
The boy's parents, Makail Ahmed and Sahra Osman, previously described their son's death as "preventable" and blamed Newham Council, after claims Ms Osman reported safety concerns about the flat on multiple occasions. Ms Osman previously told the court she was "scared" and "horrified" when Newham Council put them in the top-floor flat, saying Aalim was autistic with "no sense of danger". She felt the property was not suitable for her young family, which also included a newborn girl, but felt obliged to take it or risk homelessness.
Assistant coroner Ian Wade said: "There was a great deal of tension and emotion and a fraught atmosphere and a number of people were remarking about the council." Ms Muoma, who was making the visit on behalf of a colleague in charge of the Ahmed case, said she did not respond to any of the remarks.
Visit to the flat
A grief-stricken Ms Osman was sitting on a bed with her arms wrapped around herself when Ms Muoma saw her. One of the first things the mother told her was "I asked to be moved and nobody listened to me". Ms Muoma told the court: "I said I do not have that information but I am sorry. We want to assist you and if cannot stay overnight I can find you a place to stay." A cousin was able to give the family somewhere to stay, the court heard.
After trying to reassure Ms Osman that help would be made available, Ms Muoma asked to see the kitchen because a relative in the flat had said this was where the incident happened. She said the female cousin had told her it happened from the right-hand window. Ms Muoma tried the window twice and was able to open it on the second attempt, but could not remember exactly how she did it. She said she may have pressed a button to help open it but did not give details about the restrictor or the position of the handle. She also took a photograph of the open position to show her manager how far it can open, she told the court.
Ongoing inquest
Yearly inspections by property managers could be made but more could take place if requested, the court heard. There was a long history of complaints about the flat from the family and Ms Muoma said she did not know if her colleague, who was dealing with the family, was aware of it. All the windows were closed before the family went to bed, Ms Osman previously told inquest. Aalim could have been climbing to get a biscuit from a cupboard but the windows had "faulty" restrictors and her ongoing complaints to get them fixed led only to a series of workmen who did not sort the problem, she said. Biscuits were found on the kitchen table but it is still not known how the child would have got to the window, the court heard. Ms Osman has previously denied any suggestion she may have "forced" the window open to cope in hot weather. The hearing continues.
