A mother called 999 pleading for help months before she was found dead alongside her disabled daughter in their home, an inquest has heard. The bodies of Alphonsine Djiako Leuga, 47, and 18-year-old Loraine Choulla were found on 21 May 2024 in a house in Radford, Nottingham, after concerns were raised about their welfare.
They were believed to have been undiscovered for “weeks or months”. An inquest into their deaths, which started on Monday, heard Alphonsine had called for an ambulance on 2 February saying she was cold and could not move, but nobody attended. An inquest at Nottingham Coroner’s Court, led by assistant coroner Amanda Bewley, is expected to last five days.
Alphonsine’s medical cause of death was proposed as pneumonia while her daughter’s was “unascertained”, pathologist Dr Stuart Hamilton said in evidence. The inquest heard Loraine, who had Down’s syndrome and learning disabilities, was “entirely dependent” on her mother. Dr Hamilton said he could “not rule out” that Alphonsine might have died on 2 February, which is when she called 999.
The inquest heard Alphonsine was discharged from hospital on 28 January, agreeing to return the next day but never did. On 2 February, she called 999, saying she felt cold and couldn’t move, and asked repeatedly for an ambulance before the call ended. Paramedic Susan Jevons said the call was wrongly closed as “abandoned” despite having her address and symptoms, calling it a “missed opportunity.” The inquest will also examine if Alphonsine died before her daughter, Loraine, and whether her death could have been prevented. Post-mortem findings showed Loraine had lost significant weight and had an empty stomach and bladder.
