Alphonsine Djiako Leuga and Loraine Choulla: Disabled daughter left alone for weeks with her mum's dead body

West Australian

2 days ago

Horrifying new details have emerged in the case of a mother and her daughter who were found dead months after an ambulance was called but failed to arrive.
The bodies of Alphonsine Djiako Leuga, 47, and her teenage daughter Loraine Choulla, who had disabilities, were found during a welfare check on 21 May, 2024.
It is now believed Ms Choulla was alive and alone for weeks inside their home with her mother's decaying body before she, too, died, an inquest has been told.
Ms Leuga called for an ambulance on February 2, 2024, giving the address of her Radford, Nottingham home and said 'would you send an ambulance? Please come, please'.
But the ambulance did not come and Ms Leuga died of pneumonia, likely on the same day of the emergency call.
Detective Jack Cook, who led the investigation, gave evidence that Ms Choulla, who had Down syndrome and learning disabilities and was entirely dependent on her mother's care, was left alone with her mother's dead body for weeks after her death, before she tragically died as well, the
BBC
reported.
He told the inquest that Ms Choulla had been alive until at least February 28, 2024, as she had been using her electronic tablet.
'(Ms Choulla) had been left in the premises alone and had been alive until her device had lost charge,' he said.
The investigating police believe that it is likely she died before her 18th birthday in April.
At the hearing, Mr Cook said he had previously visited the home in 2023 as part of a social services assessment of the property.
He said the home had been 'clean and tidy' with a well stocked fridge and beds made.
However on his second visit, when the bodies were discovered, there was a mass of mouldy food throughout the kitchen and other rooms.
In one of the bedrooms, Mr Cook observed what he said was a 'den' made by Ms Choulla out of bedding and pillows on the floor between two beds.
The inquest, led by assistant coroner Amanda Bewley, began on Monday and has been told that the emergency call was made by Ms Leuga days after she 'discharged pragmatically' from hospital on January 28 in order to return to her daughter.
There was an agreement that Ms Leuga would return to the Nottingham City Hospital the following day, but she did not.
Both Ms Leuga's GP and the hospital were unable to contact her.
Then, she made the emergency call on February 2, the transcript of which was read aloud earlier this week during the inquest at Nottingham Coroner's Court.
The call handler asked Ms Leuga what language she spoke and whether she needed an interpreter.
Ms Leuga had not responded to those questions but gave the operator her home address and requested an ambulance.
Susan Jevons, a paramedic and head of the coroners' service at East Midlands Ambulance Service, told the inquest that an attempt had been made to call Ms Leuga back.
Ms Jevons said an ambulance was not sent to the home because the emergency medical adviser thought it was an 'abandoned call' and 'closed the call down'.
The police analysed the electronic tablet used to make the emergency call, and found that in the weeks following Ms Leuga's likely death, a number of calls were made by Nottingham City Hospital, which were answered.
Some of the calls had been replied to by text using one of three prepared messages, which police believe were sent by Ms Choulla.
Ms Leuga's eldest daughter, Elvira Choulla, has spoken out about the loss of her mother and sister.
She said her mother always 'strived for the best' and was 'a very strong woman' and said her sister had a 'big positive energy' and was 'such a happy person'.
'When I was happy, I was happy because of Loraine,' she said.
The inquest continues.