Bodies Of Nottingham Mother And Daughter Found Almost Four Months After 999 Call

A female who was recovered dormant alongside her “entirely dependent” teenage girl had called 999 saying she “could not move” almost 4 months earlier her assemblage was recovered but nary ambulance was sent to her, an inquest has heard.

Alphonsine Djiako Leuga, 47, suffered from sickle compartment anaemia and died from pneumonia, and her 18-year-old daughter, Loraine Choulla, had learning difficulties and Down’s syndrome, relying connected her mother for nutrient and hydration.

Nottingham coroner’s tribunal heard that Leuga called 999 connected 2 February past twelvemonth saying she was acold and could not move, and gave specifications of her reside earlier hanging up.

The proceeding was told that during nan telephone Leuga groaned, requested an ambulance, and said: “I request thief to my daughter” and: “I’m successful nan bed, I consciousness acold and can’t move” earlier cutting disconnected nan line.

She besides gave specifications of her reside successful Radford, Nottingham, wherever her assemblage and that of her girl were recovered connected 21 May past year, almost 4 months later.

Giving grounds astatine an inquest into their deaths, East Midlands ambulance service’s caput of diligent safety, Susan Jevons, said nan telephone should person been referred to nan power room dispatch officers.

She said attempts had been made to telephone Leuga backmost and that “the telephone should person been near for an ambulance to be erstwhile we had sewage nan address, which we had.

“The ambulance didn’t spell to nan reside because nan emergency aesculapian adviser, reasoning it was an abandoned call, closed nan telephone down. So it wasn’t visible to anybody wrong nan emergency operations centre.”

The coroner said she would person to see nan anticipation that sending an ambulance to nan reside “might person been nan quality betwixt life aliases death” for Choulla.

Jevons said location was a “missed opportunity for an ambulance to be Alphonsine erstwhile she requested one”.

The inquest was told that Leuga was admitted to infirmary for a humor transfusion successful precocious January past twelvemonth arsenic she was critically sick pinch very debased robust levels, and she was fixed a “pragmatic” discharge owed to her daughter’s attraction needs.

Pathologist Dr Stuart Hamilton told nan proceeding that nan mother and girl were some apt to person been dormant for “weeks to months” earlier they were found, alternatively than for days aliases hours. He said he could not norm retired nan anticipation that Leuga had died connected nan time of nan 999 call.

Hamilton said Leuga’s origin of decease was pneumonia of uncertain cause, while her daughter’s origin of decease could not beryllium established.

Asked to remark connected nan anticipation that Choulla’s decease whitethorn person been because of dehydration aliases malnutrition, Hamilton answered: “There is thing successful my findings that opportunity immoderate of that is incorrect.”

The inquest continues and is expected to past 5 days.