• [Daily Mirror Icon]
• News
• UK News
• Inquests

Voice 'heard counting down' before boy, 5, plunged to his death from 15th floor

Aalim Ahmed, aged five, fell from a kitchen window of his family's 15th floor flat in Plaistow, east London, and died instantly

[Aalim Ahmed fell from a 15th-floor flat in east London]

View 2 Images

Aalim Ahmed fell from a 15th floor flat in east London(Image: PA)

A child's voice could be heard counting down from three before a boy, five, tragically fell to his death from his family's 15th floor flat, an inquest heard.

Aalim Ahmed's grieving parents were forced to leave court when an audio clip leading up to his final moments was played before he plunged from a kitchen window at the residential block in Plaistow, east London.

The youngster died instantly with his distraught father Makail Ahmed rushing from the top-floor social housing flat and discovering his body shortly before 6am on May 16, 2024.

Mr Ahmed and mother Sahra Osman described her sons death as preventable and blamed Newham Council, after claims she reported safety concerns about the flat on multiple occasions.

[Aalim Ahmed fell from a 15th-floor flat in east London]

View 2 Images

An inquest is underway into the boy's death(Image: PA)

They left the hearing at Walthamstow Coroners Court on Tuesday as the grainy audio, which was taken from CCTV outside the apartment block, was played to the court.

A young childs voice is twice heard counting down three, two, one and a loud clang follows some seconds later, according to a statement read on behalf of Detective Constance Joe Linton who carried out a review of CCTV footage outside Jacobs House.

He added that after the commotion, you can hear another young child shouting Aalim', who would appear to be the boys brother who was then three years old.

Mr Ahmed was topless and clearly distressed in the footage as he found his son, DC Linton told the court.

DC Linton said it is most likely from the footage available that Aalim had jumped out of the flat at Jacobs House in New City Road of his own accord without the presence of a third party.

Detective Inspector Jamie Humm, who investigated the incident, said there was no evidence or suspicion he (Aalim) had been forced. He noted: The flat was well furnished and it was clearly a loving environment for a child."

Ms Osman has told the court she was scared and horrified when Newham Council put them in the top-floor flat which needed repairs, stating that Aalim was autistic, had no sense of danger and the place was not suitable for her young family which also included a newborn baby girl.

Despite engineers having been to look at the repairs, she felt the flat was still not safe and there were open windows, according to Ms Osman. All the windows were closed before the family went to bed, the inquest heard.

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. Assistant coroner Ian Wade said: Aalim at his tender age, and with his autism, could not have known what could have happened. It seems to me that he would not have meant to have deliberately taken the stance to have harmed himself.

Robert OSullivan, of the London Ambulance Service, recalled that a number of colleagues were visibly shocked after finding the boy and as a cordon was placed around the building.

In his statement, he recalled: There was an adult male shouting I have told them about the window. He was not sure if this meant it had been reported to the council. The right-hand kitchen window was open and the room was cordoned off.

Sergeant Christopher Diment, who was among the officers who attended the scene, said Mr Ahmed was clearly distraught, pacing around and shouting, and was overcome with grief. When they went into the flat Mr Ahmed was saying something about the state of the windows, he told the court.

The council suggested the engineer who went to the flat was not told of any issues with the restrictor in the kitchen, but there were problems in the living room, the inquest heard. Ms Osman has denied any suggestion she may have forced the window open to cope in hot weather.

The hearing continues.

[Daily Mirror Icon]

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.