Almost four months after Alphonsine Djiako Leuga, 47, called 999 for help, she and her 18-year-old daughter, Loraine Choulla, were found dead in their Nottingham home. Leuga had sickle cell anaemia and was unable to move. Her daughter, who had Down Syndrome and learning disabilities, was entirely dependent on her.

Leuga made the emergency call on February 2, 2024, but no ambulance was sent. Despite giving her name and address, the call was marked as “abandoned,” and the system closed it down. The pair’s bodies were not discovered until May 21, after a neighbor reported that the windows had been open since February.

An inquest revealed that Leuga likely died shortly after the call. Choulla is believed to have survived until February 28, alone in the house after her mother’s passing. Her phone eventually lost charge, cutting off any possibility of communication.

Detective Con Jack Cook stated that Choulla was left alive and alone until her device stopped working. Pathologist Dr. Stuart Hamilton confirmed that while the exact cause of her death was unknown, starvation or dehydration could not be ruled out. Continues…