Tragic Deaths of Mother and Daughter Under Scrutiny After Missed 999 Call

Nottingham, UK – A heartbreaking inquest has begun into the deaths of Alphonsine Djiako Leuga, 47, and her 18-year-old disabled daughter, Loraine Choulla, whose bodies were discovered in their Radford home on May 21, 2024, reportedly weeks or even months after their passing. The inquiry has revealed a critical missed opportunity for intervention after Alphonsine made a desperate 999 call for help in February.

The inquest, taking place at Nottingham Coroner’s Court and led by assistant coroner Amanda Bewley, heard that Alphonsine called 999 on February 2, pleading that she was cold and couldn’t move. Tragically, an ambulance was never dispatched.

Pathologist Dr. Stuart Hamilton proposed Alphonsine’s medical cause of death as pneumonia, while Loraine’s remains “unascertained.” Crucially, Dr. Hamilton stated he could not rule out the possibility that Alphonsine died on the very day she made the 999 call.

Loraine, who had Down’s syndrome and learning disabilities, was “entirely dependent” on her mother. The inquest heard concerning details about Loraine’s condition at the time of discovery, including her significantly reduced weight from 108kg in February 2023 to 59kg at post-mortem, and an empty stomach and bladder. Dr. Hamilton acknowledged that malnutrition or dehydration could not be ruled out as contributing factors to Loraine’s death.

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A Hospital Discharge and a Fatal Call
The inquest heard that Alphonsine had been admitted to City Hospital on January 26 with a lower respiratory tract infection and low iron levels requiring blood transfusions. Despite the hospital’s desire for her to remain, she was “discharged pragmatically” on January 28 to care for her daughter, with an agreement to return the following day. She never did, and subsequent attempts by the hospital and her GP to contact her were unsuccessful.

On February 2, Alphonsine made the critical 999 call. A transcript read aloud in court detailed her pleas for an ambulance for herself and her daughter, stating, “I feel cold and I can’t move.” Despite repeatedly being asked about language and needing an interpreter, Alphonsine provided her address and continued to urge, “Would you send an ambulance? Please come, please,” before the call ended.

“Missed Opportunity” by Ambulance Service
Susan Jevons, a paramedic and head of the coroners service at East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS), gave evidence, explaining that an attempt was made to call Alphonsine back but there was no answer. She admitted that an ambulance was not sent because the emergency medical advisor “thinking it was an abandoned call, closed the call down.”

Jevons unequivocally stated that this “should never have happened” given that EMAS had Alphonsine’s address, telephone number, and details of her symptoms. An internal investigation by EMAS found that there was a “missed opportunity” for an ambulance to attend on the day Alphonsine called. Jevons offered an apology on behalf of EMAS for “all of the errors” it made.

The five-day inquest will continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the mother and daughter’s deaths, including whether Alphonsine died before Loraine, and if so, whether there were any missed opportunities to save Loraine’s life.