Girl, 8, died after falling 60ft from 'cluttered' sixth-floor balcony visiting her mother who had smoked cannabis that day, inquest hears
A 'happy' eight-year-old girl fell 60ft to her death from a cluttered sixth-floor balcony after visiting her mother who had smoked cannabis that day, an inquest heard today.
Minnie-Rae Dunn tragically died from catastrophic injuries after she fell from the balcony which had 'little space' and was cluttered with eight bin bags full of clothes and furniture.
Her heartbroken mother Rebecca Dunn told her inquest she initially told Minnie-Rae that she could not play on her balcony, but ended up 'giving in' because 'I'm a sucker for her eyes'.
At the time of the incident, Ms Dunn had smoked cannabis, which she uses for medicinal purposes to help her with her anxiety and mental health.
Ms Dunn said allowing 'sassy' Minnie-Rae onto the outdoor terrace has been the 'biggest mistake of my life'.
A coroner today ruled that Minnie-Rae's death was 'an accident', caused when the youngster fell after she stood on an object.
In a heartfelt written tribute after the inquest, Minnie-Rae's family said she had a 'smile as bright as the sun'.
The inquest at Portsmouth Coroner's Court, Hants, was told that Minnie-Rae had lived with her grandmother Dorothy Kenney since October 2018.
The youngster would often visit her mum, who lived in a flat in Pickwick House tower block in Buckland, Portsmouth.
Ms Dunn was asked about how often Minnie-Rae would play on the balcony and she said 'not all the time, but sometimes'.
It was heard that Minnie-Rae would colour and paint on the outdoor terrace, which had a wall that was one and a half metres high.
The inquest heard the balcony had an item of furniture on it, which was referred to as a pouffe and padded seat by the coroner.
There were also eight bin bags containing clothes belonging to Ms Dunn's other daughter.
Ms Dunn said that the pouffe was usually positioned closer to the door but had been moved.
'Someone went out for a fag and moved it and didn't move it back,' she told the inquest.
On August 24 2023, Minnie-Rae was visiting her mum with another young girl, who has not been named for legal reasons.
On that day, Ms Dunn had smoked a 'joint of cannabis in the morning and another at around five o'clock in the afternoon'.
'I do it for my mental health,' Ms Dunn told the inquest.
Jason Pegg, area coroner for Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton, asked the mother whether she thought this had impacted upon her 'ability to look after Minnie-Rae'.
In response, she said: 'No, it never has before.'
The inquest heard that in the late afternoon and early evening, the girls went out onto the balcony.
Describing how this came about, Ms Dunn said: 'She did ask me to go out but I said no at first.
'They got slime all over the bed, and I'm a sucker for her eyes, I ended up giving in and that is the biggest mistake of my life.'
While outside, Minnie-Rae was 'playing and chatting' with the other young girl before she tragically fell to her death.
The circumstances are unclear but it is understood that the youngster stood on an object on the balcony, meaning she was 'elevated'.
The girl told the police that she had tried to grab Minnie-Rae's leg as she slipped backwards but was unable to hold on.
One neighbour described hearing a 'loud dull thud' as the youngster hit the concrete while another said they saw a 'flash of burgundy' from their window before hearing a 'bang'.
Despite efforts of medical staff, Minnie-Rae died at the scene.
Ms Dunn described her daughter as 'sassy', adding: 'She was a good kid.'
Ms Kenney, Minnie-Rae's grandmother, told the inquest: 'She was happy.
'She loved her family, she loved school and friends and she liked to go out playing, going to different places on holidays.
'She was quite a happy girl.
'She used to like charge around quite a bit, like round the house and stuff.
'When it came to like danger and stuff like that, she was quite savvy, quite a savvy girl.
'But, she could be a bit clumsy at times.'
A post-mortem examination concluded that Minnie-Rae died of multiple injuries sustained in a fall from height.
Delivering his conclusion, Mr Pegg said: '[Minnie-Rae] was a happy girl, someone who was loved by all of her family, someone who liked playing and someone who would spend some of her time with her mother at Pickwick House.
'Ms Dunn... you have told me that Minnie-Rae was sassy and a good kid and you told me about the occasions when she would come and visit you at your flat.
'You have told me that when Minnie-Rae would come and visit you, she would go out onto the balcony on occasions and play with her friend who was of a similar age.'
Mr Pegg said he heard evidence that the balcony is usually 'free of any debris and clutter'.
He continued: 'But, on the 24th of August 2023, when Minnie-Rae visited your flat there were a number of black bin bags containing clothes, distributed and cluttering the balcony.
'There was very little space for Minnie-Rae and [the other girl] to go and play out onto the balcony.'
Mr Pegg spoke of how the girls would have wanted to play on the balcony because it was likely a 'fine' summer's day.
He referred to evidence from Ms Dunn, who said that she 'didn't think about the fact there was not much space' for the girls on the balcony.
Mr Pegg said: 'Minnie-Rae stood on something, elevating herself so that her waist was above the wall of the balcony.
'Minnie-Rae then fell from that balcony.'
Mr Pegg returned a conclusion of an accidental death for the youngster.
He said: 'Minnie-Rae fell from the sixth floor balcony... onto the ground below, causing Minnie Rae to suffer multiple injuries.
'Minnie-Rae had been playing on the balcony and during that time, had elevated herself on an object which had been left on the balcony, causing Minnie-Rae to fall over the balcony wall.'
In a handwritten tribute, Ms Dunn and Minnie-Rae's sister Porscha said: 'Minnie Rae was a happy, loveable, sassy, little girl.
'She was loved by all that met her. She made friends wherever she went. Her family adored her.
'Her passing had and continues to have a massive impact in our lives.
'Losing our sweet Minnie-Moo was devastating but we will always have such fun memories of her, such as when we went to the sunflower field, her smile was just as bright as the sun.
'We will have to love you from afar, but that love will never, never stop.
'Love and miss you forever in our hearts.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
12 minutes ago
- Wales Online
UK-bound plane crashes after take-off with 244 people aboard
UK-bound plane crashes after take-off with 244 people aboard The flight was heading for London GUJARAT, INDIA - JUNE 12: Smoke rises after a plane crash shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in India's western state of Gujarat on June 12, 2025. The crash occurred in the Meghaninagar area, according to a report by the Press Trust of India, citing local authorities. (Photo by Nandan Dave/Anadolu via Getty Images) A plane bound for the UK has crashed shortly after take-off. The flight was leaving India's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad heading for London Gatwick. A total of 53 British nationals were on board a Gatwick Airport-bound plane that appeared to explode when it crashed shortly after take-off, Air India has said. In a statement following the incident on Thursday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: 'The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating.' He added he is being kept updated as the situation develops. The King said he is also being updated on the incident. Rescuers work at the site of an airplane that crashed in India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state, Thursday, June12, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki) Air India's chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran described the incident as a 'tragic accident' and a 'devastating event' and said emergency response teams are at the site. A video of the incident, obtained by local media, shows the aircraft flying over a residential area before crashing, creating what appears to be a large explosion. Article continues below Commons Leader Lucy Powell said the Government will provide 'all the support that it can' to those affected by the incident. Air India said the flight was departing from Ahmedabad Airport with 242 people onboard the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. The airline said 169 passengers are Indian nationals, 53 are British, one is Canadian and seven are Portuguese. The Reuters news agency reported 217 adults and 11 children were on board the flight. In a statement, Mr Chandrasekaran said: 'With profound sorrow I confirm that Air India Flight 171 operating Ahmedabad London Gatwick was involved in a tragic accident today. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event. 'At this moment, our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families. We are doing everything in our power to assist the emergency response teams at the site and to provide all necessary support and care to those impacted.' He added: 'An emergency centre has been activated and support team have been set up for families seeking information.' Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, director general of India's directorate of civil aviation, told the Associated Press the crash happened in the Meghani Nagar area at 1.38pm local time (9.08am BST). Mr Kidwai said there were 232 passengers and 12 crew members onboard. It is the first crash involving a Boeing 787 aircraft, according to the Aviation Safety Network database. Flight tracking website Flightradar24 posted on social media platform X: 'We are following reports of a crash of Air India flight #AI171 from Ahmedabad to London. 'We received the last signal from the aircraft at 08:08:51 UTC (shortly before 9.09am BST), just seconds after take off. The aircraft involved is a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with registration VT-ANB.' It added the signal from the aircraft was lost 'less than a minute after take off'. Air India was acquired by Tata Group from the Indian government in January 2022 after racking up billions of pounds of losses. The airline's UK operations are at Birmingham, Gatwick and Heathrow, with routes to a number of Indian cities such as Ahmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. GUJARAT, INDIA - JUNE 12: Smoke rises after a plane crash shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in India's western state of Gujarat on June 12, 2025. The crash occurred in the Meghaninagar area, according to a report by the Press Trust of India, citing local authorities. (Photo by Nandan Dave/Anadolu via Getty Images) Recent analysis by the PA news agency found it was the worst airline for delays to flights from UK airports last year, with planes taking off by an average of more than 45 minutes later than scheduled. The airline has gained a poor reputation for delays and cancellations in recent years, partly caused by a lack of funds to purchase spare aircraft parts, which led to some of its fleet being grounded. Article continues below The first flight of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft involved in the crash was in December 2013. The plane was delivered to Air India during the following month.
The Independent
14 minutes ago
- The Independent
PSNI chief warns rioters ‘we will arrest you'
Northern Ireland's police chief has warned 'bigots and racists' behind three nights of disorder in the region that his officers will be coming after them. Jon Boutcher said a young girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in Ballymena at the weekend, an incident that triggered protests that descended into violence in the Co Antrim town, had been 'further traumatised' by the rioting since Monday. Forty-one officers have been injured in the unrest, which had resulted in 15 arrests by Thursday evening. Mr Boutcher, who met the girl's family on Thursday, delivered a stark message to the rioters as he spoke to the media in Belfast after a meeting with his oversight body, the Northern Ireland Policing Board. 'Stop this violence,' he said. 'We will come after you. We will arrest you. We will prosecute you successfully. It is not in any way a way for a civilised society to behave and it must stop now.' He said the family was 'mortified' by the disorder. 'This girl's family and this girl want it to end. Our communities want it to end. We need it to end. So please don't come out on the streets tonight. If you do, we will police you and we will deal with you through the criminal justice system.' After the warning, gatherings in several towns proceeded largely without any major disturbance by 9pm on Thursday. A significant police presence had been deployed to Ballymena and Portadown but there was no initial repeat of the violence of previous nights. Police said a separate protest in east Belfast also ended early in the evening. The riotous behaviour earlier in the week saw vandalism, vehicles burned and arson attacks on a number of properties across several towns. Petrol bombs, fireworks, masonry and a hatchet were among items thrown at officers. Police responded with water cannon, dogs and plastic baton rounds in an attempt to disperse crowds during riots in Ballymena. Mr Boutcher said: 'I want to specifically mention the 41 police officers who've been injured. Each of those officers have put themselves in harm's way to protect our communities. 'And I want to send a very clear message to all our diverse communities: we stand absolutely shoulder to shoulder with you. We are here to protect you. 'We are your police service, and these bigots and racists will not win the day. This will be policed properly. We will deal with this – and we all know that in this room – but let's call an end to it now.' The PSNI chief said the initial lawful and legitimate process before unrest broke out was done in a way that was responsible and empathetic to the victim. However, he said the protest was subsequently 'hijacked' and turned into 'wanton, disgraceful criminal behaviour that is absolutely race motivated'. The chief said the service was under-resourced and needed to be funded 'properly' rather than 'disgracefully'. However, he said his officers would still bring people to justice: 'We've put our public order inquiry team together, we'll be releasing images of those responsible. We will be going after them.' Mr Boutcher said 80 public-order officers from Scotland came to the region on Thursday to support policing efforts. The head officer described how PSNI members helped evacuate foreign national families who were hiding in attics and wardrobes in their homes in Ballymena as rioters went on the rampage on Monday night. He said the families targeted had done nothing wrong. 'They are not criminals. They contribute positively to society here and are well integrated,' he said. 'Fire Service colleagues described how they went to the scenes to stop arson attacks at those addresses, and how they, in all their years in the Fire Service, have not seen levels of violence to that level, and told me specifically and directly of the bravery, the courage of a very thin green line of police officers that without doubt, in my view, saved lives that night.' Earlier, a judge warned that courts will deal 'robustly' with those involved in violence in Ballymena. District Judge Nigel Broderick warned that young people who got involved were risking a significant custodial sentence as three teenagers faced rioting charges at the town's magistrates' court on Thursday. Michael Elliot, 18, of Lanntara, Ballymena, and two youths were the first defendants to appear in court since the sustained violence erupted in the Co Antrim town on Monday. Meanwhile, two other teenage boys who were arrested during the disorder have been released on bail to allow for further police inquiries. Secretary of State Hilary Benn described the scenes as 'mindless racist thuggery' while Stormont Justice Minister Naomi Long said it has been a 'three-day festival of hate and destruction' which needs to stop before someone loses their life. Thirty minutes from Ballymena, a leisure centre in Larne was subjected to arson after temporarily being used as an emergency shelter for those in urgent need following disturbances in the town earlier in the week. Communities Minister Gordon Lyons, who highlighted the use of the building in a social media post, said all those who had been staying at the leisure centre are in the care of the Housing Executive and have been moved out of Larne. Northern Ireland's First Minister Michelle O'Neill said Mr Lyons should resign over his social media post while the leader of the opposition in the Northern Ireland Assembly SDLP MLA Matthew O'Toole said he would refer the Communities Minister to the standards commission. Mr Benn also asked the minister to 'reflect upon his words' and 'not upon his position'. Mr Lyons has resisted calls for his resignation and said he would 'strongly hit back at any notion' that he had publicly revealed the facility was being used to house immigrant families who had been affected by violence in Ballymena.
Times
17 minutes ago
- Times
The foods to eat to reduce inflammation — and those to avoid
Inflammation has been linked to the development of a host of life-threatening health conditions including heart disease, cancer, obesity, type 2 diabetes and dementia, and it plays a causal role in autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Reduce it, and the threat of these diseases has been shown to decline. But how many of us know what inflammation is, why too much is so damaging, or what we can do to protect ourselves from it? • Read more expert advice on healthy living, fitness and wellbeing 'Inflammation is a defence system,' says Dr James Kinross, a consultant surgeon and lecturer in colorectal surgery at Imperial College London. 'It is a process through which our body is able to detect harm and regenerate itself once it's sustained an injury.' Cut your finger or catch a cold, for example, and the damaged cells release chemicals that trigger a response to heal you. If all systems are in good order, the inflammation subsides once you are well. Inflammation becomes a risk, Kinross says, when that response isn't switched off again. It's designed to be acute, but not chronic or excessive. 'If it switches on for the wrong reasons or you lose that balance, it becomes problematic,' he says. 'The immune system will literally attack our body's cells and tissues.' One of its biggest triggers is our modern environment and lifestyle, says the gastroenterologist Shilpa Ravella, the author of A Silent Fire: The Story of Inflammation, Diet and Disease. 'We've altered, among many things, our diet, physical activity, stress levels, sleep, social connections, the quality of the air we breathe, and our exposure to toxins from our household and other products,' she says. We have never been exposed to so many factors that trigger inflammation in our bodies, and we know this owing to recent strides in molecular medicine. Danny Altmann, a professor of immunology at Imperial College London, says that doctors can now measure a range of biological markers, including cytokines, that increase with excessive inflammation and are signs of 'bad or unhealthy stuff going on'. Age, for example, increases our susceptibility to inflammation, Altmann says. 'If you do all those biomarker measurements, they grow further and further off-kilter as you grow older, and contribute to poor health.' In its early stages, persistent low-level inflammation can be silent and 'hidden, simmering quietly in the blood of ostensibly healthy people,' Ravella says. 'One thing to watch out for is belly fat, because it is a proxy for hidden 'visceral' fat that wraps around inner abdominal organs. And this type of fat is highly inflammatory, churning out inflammatory cytokines at all hours.' She stresses that the risk is more closely related to lifestyle choices than how you look. Improving diet, reducing stress and exercising more frequently can reduce chronic, hidden inflammation 'even without a change in the amount of belly fat one has'. Similarly, you can look fit and slim but harbour silent inflammation if you don't have good lifestyle habits. To make sense of this link, it helps to understand how the immune system works, says Kinross, who has written a book on the subject, Dark Matter: The New Science of the Microbiome. Your immune system has two parts. Your innate immune system deals with day-to-day challenges and threats: if your body meets a pathogen, it mounts an immediate response. When your body meets the same pathogen again, the second part of the immune system, the adaptive part, learns how to make antibodies to fight it and creates a more precise strike. • 14 foods you should eat every week (including chocolate) 'This is where the microbiome is so important,' Kinross says. 'You need bugs to educate and set up and teach that system friend from foe. You also need the right balance of microbes because they can speak to that immune system and say, 'Hey guys, you need to ramp up'. But they can also put the brake on.' So healthy gut bugs and a diverse microbiome make for a more efficient immune system. Kinross believes that the huge rise in conditions that share a common thread of inflammation can be attributed partly to failing to programme our immune systems effectively in early life. The overuse of antibiotics, a diet of nutrient-poor and ultra-processed foods and exposure to pollution all negatively affect the microbiome. Antonio Vidal-Puig, a professor of molecular nutrition and metabolism at the University of Cambridge, heads a team researching the mechanisms that link obesity with metabolic complications including insulin resistance, diabetes, fatty liver and heart disease. 'Obesity is also associated with neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, and also with cancer — such as colon, breast, prostate or gynaecological — as well as IBD and many other common diseases,' he says.'Inflammation is a key component in the story everywhere.' We already know that losing weight cuts obesity-related cancer risk, but a study presented at the European Congress of Obesity in May suggested that losing weight through taking GLP-1 medication (such as Ozempic or Mounjaro) resulted in a 41 per cent greater reduction in risk than if one were to lose the same weight through bariatric surgery. Obesity can cause chronic inflammation through metabolically abnormal fatty tissues releasing hormones and proteins that reduce anti-inflammatory immune cells across the body, as well as through imbalances in insulin and glucose, says Dr Matthew Harris, a Cancer Research UK clinical research fellow and lead author of PADRAIC, a project at the University of Manchester researching anti-obesity interventions to prevent adult cancers. However, it's likely that there are some direct effects of GLP-1 drugs on the immune system too, he adds. 'There are GLP-1 receptors all over the body — predominantly in the gut, brain and pancreas, but also on immune cells called T-cells that respond to inflammation. While it's likely that the anti-inflammatory effects of GLP-1 drugs are mostly due to a reduction in 'sick fat', it's speculated that there may also be some direct effects on the receptors.' A Mediterranean-style diet enhances health because it contains fruit, leafy greens and other vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, spices and herbs, all of which have high anti-inflammatory potential, Ravella says. 'These foods contain a host of substances essential for regulating the immune system, like polyphenols, carotenoids and other phytochemicals, as well as unsaturated fats like omega-3s.' • The 13 carbs you should eat Our most anti-inflammatory nutrient? Fibre from plant sources. We should be eating 30g of fibre daily, but at least 90 per cent of UK adults are deficient in it. 'Fibre can manipulate all arms of the immune system,' Ravella says. Ultra-processed foods full of additives, foods that contain an excess of sugar and salt, plus refined carbs and unhealthy animal foods including processed meats can all activate the immune system, stressing cells in the body and triggering inflammation, she says. Alcohol, too, is inflammatory, says Dr Federica Amati, a medical scientist and nutrition lead at Imperial College London. Colourful fruit and veg and leafy greens 'Fruits and vegetables that are high in antioxidant polyphenols combat oxidative stress and lower inflammatory markers,' says Amati, who is also head nutritionist at the science and nutrition company Zoe and the author of Every Body Should Know This: The Science of Eating for a Lifetime of Health. Colourful fruits are particularly beneficial. Pomegranates, for example, contain specific polyphenols associated with reducing heart disease, she says. Beetroot is another deeply coloured antioxidant-rich plant that helps to reduce inflammation. And yellow-toned plants — papayas, oranges, mangos, apples, carrots and celery — contain the polyphenol apigenin, which has anti-inflammatory effects. Fruits and vegetables are also high in fibre, which helps to maintain a healthy gut microbiome, and can create short-chain fatty acids, which are good for maintaining the integrity of the gut lining. Cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts, and leafy greens including spinach, Swiss chard and cavolo nero, are particularly beneficial. Legumes Black beans, chickpeas, lentils and edamame are high in fibre and polyphenols. 'Lentils contain plenty of fibre and plant protein, as well as micronutrients like iron. They are a nutritional powerhouse,' Amati says. MushroomsMushrooms provide fibre, plant protein and polyphenols that are special to fungi, Amati says. 'Increasing your intake of mushrooms is associated with lower inflammation and if you sunbathe them on your windowsill, they will also contain vitamin D, which is great for immune health.' Omega-3 fatty acids found in fishSalmon, sardines, anchovies, and mackerel are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids, but so are flaxseeds, chia seeds and walnuts. Studies have found that they help cells to make more omega-3-derived metabolites which turn off the inflammatory response and work to improve the gut microbiome. 'They're known to have anti-inflammatory properties and are metabolised by the gut microbiome — our gut microbes love omega-3,' Amati says. 'They have properties that are important for reducing inflammation in the liver.' • The ultra-processed foods the top nutritionist says are healthy Wholegrains such as oats and speltSteel-cut oats, barley, quinoa, buckwheat and spelt contain a fibre called beta-glucan, which has anti-inflammatory properties, reduces cholesterol and helps with heart health. Nuts and seeds As well as the omega-3 in flaxseeds, chia seeds and walnuts, other seeds and nuts, such as almonds and pumpkin seeds, contain healthy poly and monounsaturated fats. 'They also provide polyphenols of their own that help to lower inflammation,' Amati says. Extra virgin olive oilThis is in a category of its own. 'It has a clear role in the Mediterranean diet, but as an ingredient itself, its particular polyphenols and fats have very strong anti-inflammatory effects that have been likened to the anti-inflammatory effects of ibuprofen,' Amati says. Herbs, spices and fermented foodTurmeric, ginger and garlic have potent anti-inflammatory effects thanks to the specific polyphenols found in them, such as curcumin in turmeric and allicin in garlic. Amati notes that a recent trial by scientists at Stanford University investigated how the gut microbiome and inflammatory modulation changed between a fibre-rich diet and a fermented food-rich diet. 'The high-fibre diet helped to improve immune system function, so it was better able to react appropriately to pathogens. The high fermented-food diet, containing yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut and kimchi, helped to reduce systemic inflammation, specifically helping to modulate unnecessary inflammatory response.' Bacon and processed meatsThese are high in salt and saturated fat, both of which cause inflammatory responses in the body and are linked to an increased risk of bowel cancer. 'We think this is due to a combination of the saturated fat and the way they are processed, along with the additives like nitrates and salt,' Amati says. 'They are also not good for the gut microbiome, which makes it easier for the inflammation to go up.' Sweets and fizzy drinks Foods that are high in sugar will raise your blood sugar level rapidly, also increasing insulin levels, which promotes an inflammatory state in the body. 'Sugar is also absorbed quickly into the liver and the liver doesn't like that,' Amati says. Factory-made pastries and cakesThese tend to be high in saturated fats and refined carbohydrates, as well as sugar. 'Research has shown that people who have a higher intake of refined carbs have higher inflammatory markers,' Amati says. 'Refined carbs are stripped of fibre, antioxidants and micronutrients during processing, which removes the naturally anti-inflammatory compounds. When sugar reacts with proteins or fats in the body, it forms AGEs [advanced glycation end-products], which accumulate in tissues and trigger immune cells to release inflammatory cytokines.'
