Nearly four months after Alphonsine Djiako Leuga, 47, dialed 999 seeking assistance, she and her 18-year-old daughter, Loraine Choulla, were discovered deceased in their Nottingham residence. Leuga suffered from sickle cell anaemia, which rendered her immobile. Her daughter, who had Down Syndrome and learning disabilities, was completely reliant on her.
Leuga placed the emergency call on February 2, 2024, yet no ambulance was dispatched. Despite providing her name and address, the call was categorized as “abandoned,” leading to its closure by the system. The bodies of the two were not found until May 21, when a neighbor reported that the windows had remained open since February.
An inquest indicated that Leuga likely passed away shortly after making the call. Choulla is thought to have survived until February 28, left alone in the house following her mother’s death. Eventually, her phone lost power, eliminating any chance of communication.
Detective Con Jack Cook remarked that Choulla was left alive and isolated until her device ceased functioning. Pathologist Dr. Stuart Hamilton confirmed that while the precise cause of her death remains undetermined, starvation or dehydration could not be excluded. Leuga’s death was attributed to pneumonia of an uncertain origin.
Susan Jevons from East Midlands Ambulance Service acknowledged that the service had received the correct address but failed to send an ambulance due to the erroneous closure of the call. “There was a missed opportunity,” she informed the coroner. “An ambulance should have been dispatched.”
Days prior to her emergency call, Leuga had been admitted to the hospital for a blood transfusion and was released early to tend to her daughter. Their tragic narrative has ignited outrage and raised concerns regarding emergency response protocols.
