Newham Council ignored window safety warnings before five-year-old’s fatal fall

A five-year-old boy died after falling from a 15th-floor kitchen window in a Plaistow tower block, an inquest heard. Aalim Ahmed landed on a railing outside Jacobs House on 16 May 2024. His mother, Sahra Osman, told Walthamstow Coroner’s Court that Newham Council repeatedly ignored her warnings about faulty window restrictors, which she said left the flat unsafe for her autistic son.

Osman and her family moved into the top-floor flat in February 2023, despite her concerns about its suitability. She said she was advised to accept the property or risk homelessness. The flat required repairs, including to window restrictors, which she reported as broken or ineffective. Osman told the court she felt her complaints were dismissed, with council representatives treating the issues as routine rather than urgent.

Council accused of failing to act on safety risks

Osman testified that she informed the council about her son’s autism and his lack of danger awareness. She said she provided a GP letter and other documentation to support her requests for safer accommodation. Despite this, she claimed the council did not prioritise the repairs. "I told you my son has autism," she told council representative Sandesh Singh during the inquest. "I do not know what more I can prove."

The court heard that engineers visited the flat in January 2024 to inspect the windows. Osman said she demonstrated the faulty restrictors, which allowed windows to open wide enough for a child to fall through. She claimed the council did not treat the issue as an emergency, even after she found a restrictor on the floor the day after an inspection. "The restrictors were not working, they were there for decoration," she said.

Family describes moment of discovery

Aalim’s father, Makail Ahmed, told the court he was in the kitchen when he heard his partner screaming. He saw his son’s pyjamas through the window and ran downstairs, where he found Aalim’s body. Neighbours called emergency services after hearing the commotion. The inquest heard that Aalim’s cause of death was recorded as multiple injuries due to a fall from height.

Osman said the family always closed and locked the windows before bed. She described the moment she realised something was wrong: "I was shouting ‘Aalim’, ‘window’, ‘outside’. My partner was just crying and screaming in shock." She denied suggestions that she may have forced a window open to cope with hot weather, insisting the restrictors were the issue.

Coroner acknowledges preventable tragedy

Assistant coroner Ian Wade opened the inquest by acknowledging the "horrendous loss" suffered by Aalim’s family and the wider community. "I am very conscious that this should never have happened," he said. "How it happened remains to be seen." The hearing is expected to continue, with further evidence to be presented.

Newham Council has not yet issued a public statement in response to the inquest testimony. A council spokesperson told MyLondon earlier this week that they were unable to comment while the inquest was ongoing. It is unclear when the coroner will deliver a conclusion or whether any recommendations will be made to the council regarding window safety in its housing stock.