Latest news with #MinnieRaeDunn
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Mum says letting daughter, 8, play on balcony before she fell to death 'biggest mistake' of her life
An eight-year-old girl died after falling to her death from the sixth-floor balcony of her mother's home, an inquest has heard. Minnie Rae Dunn, who lived with her grandmother, was at her mum Rebecca Dunn's home in Portmousth on August 23, 2023, when she suffered the fatal fall. An inquest into Minnie Rae's death, held on Wednesday, heard the youngster had gone out to play on the 'cluttered' balcony, which had eight bin bags and a pouffe chair, with another girl. READ MORE: Liverpool crash suspect's neighbours speak out as wife 'found out after seeing car on TV' READ MORE: 'Twisted mum' arranged for child rapist stay over to rape daughter, 12 Giving evidence at the hearing, Ms Dunn said that she would sometimes go on to the balcony when she visited and described her daughter as 'sassy' and a 'good kid'. The inquest was told that the balcony had a brick wall about a metre high with anti-pigeon netting above. Ms Dunn said that the chair was normally against the window but had been moved against the wall by someone who had gone out for a cigarette. She told the inquest that she initially refused to let her daughter and the girl go on to the balcony that day. Ms Dunn added: 'She did ask to go out, I did say no at first but they got slime all over the bed. I am a sucker for her eyes and ended up giving in and that was the biggest mistake of my life.' Ms Dunn admitted that she had smoked cannabis earlier in the day. The inquest heard that Ms Dunn told police that it did not make her 'drowsy' but made her 'calm'. She told the hearing: 'I did it for my mental health, it's not like I smoked it all day.' Coroner Jason Pegg asked Ms Dunn: 'Do you think it impacted on your ability to look after Minnie Rae?' to which she answered: 'No.' Ms Dunn added that she had not been able to 'grieve yet' for her daughter and said that she was an 'emotional mess'. The other girl told police that she had attempted to grab Minnie Rae as she fell and said: 'I couldn't hold on, my hand slipped off as she was moving really fast", the hearing heard. The coroner told the inquest that a neighbour reported seeing Minnie Rae standing up on something before she fell. An air ambulance was called to the scene, but Minnie Rae sadly died from multiple injuries. Recording a conclusion of accidental death, Mr Pegg said: 'This was a desperately dreadful and tragic accident.' He added: 'I am going to record that Minnie Rae had been playing on the balcony and in that time elevated herself on an object which had been left on the balcony causing Minnie Rae to fall over the balcony wall.' Paying tribute to Minnie, Ms Dunn said in a statement previously released through police: 'My angel, I am going to miss your sassiness and the way you spoke your mind. 'Your big bright smile that always melted my heart will be missed so much. 'I have a hole shape in my heart that will always be there. My little angel fly high, I love you to the moon and back. Mummy.' Hampshire Constabulary previously confirmed that a 43-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of neglect was released without charge.
The Sun
28-05-2025
- General
- The Sun
Girl, 8, died falling from sixth-floor balcony – as mum reveals her torment over ‘biggest mistake'
A TRAGIC eight-year-old girl died falling from a sixth-floor balcony while visiting her mum, an inquest heard. Minnie Rae Dunn, who lived with her gran, was playing with another girl at the flat in Portsmouth when the horror unfolded. 3 3 An inquest heard the balcony, which had a metre-high wall with netting, was "cluttered" with around eight bin bags and a pouffe. Her mum Rebecca Dunn told the inquest she would sometimes let her daughter on the balcony to paint. On the day Minnie died, Rebecca initially refused to let her play outside but eventually agreed. The mum said: "I am a sucker for her eyes and ended up giving in and that was the biggest mistake of my life." Rebecca admitted she had smoked cannabis around an hour before the August 2023 horror but denied it impacted her ability to look after Minnie. A 43-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of child neglect by Hampshire Constabulary but was later released without charge. The court heard Minnie was seen by a neighbour standing up on something before she fell. The girl she was with had attempted to grab the youngster but was not able to save her. She later told police: "I couldn't hold on, my hand slipped off as she was moving really fast." An air ambulance was scrambled to the block of flats but Minnie died shortly after from multiple injuries. Hampshire acting senior coroner Jason Pegg said the death was a "desperately dreadful tragic accident". He added: "I am going to record that Minnie Rae had been playing on the balcony and in that time elevated herself on an object which had been left on the balcony causing Minnie Rae to fall over the balcony wall." In a handwritten statement following the inquest, Rebecca said her daughter was a "happy, lovable, sassy little girl". She added: "She was loved by all that met her... Her passing had and continues to have a massive impact on our lives. "Her smile was just as bright as the sun. We will have to love you from afar, but that love will never, never stop." 3
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
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.'
The Guardian
28-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Portsmouth girl's balcony fall death was accident, says coroner
An eight-year-old girl fell 18m (60ft) to her death from the cluttered balcony of a sixth-floor flat after persuading her mother to let her play outside, an inquest heard. Minnie-Rae Dunn died from catastrophic injuries in the fall from the balcony, which was crammed with eight bin bags of clothes and pieces of furniture. Her mother, Rebecca Dunn, told her inquest she initially told 'sassy' Minnie-Rae that she could not play on the balcony, but ended up giving in because 'I'm a sucker for her eyes'. On the day of the tragedy, Dunn had smoked cannabis, which she used to help her with her anxiety, the inquest heard. Jason Pegg, area coroner for Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton, ruled that Minnie-Rae's death was an accident. The inquest at Portsmouth coroner's court, Hants, was told that Minnie-Rae lived with her grandmother, Dorothy Kenney, at the time of the accident last August. The youngster would often visit her mother, who lived in a flat in the Pickwick House tower block in Portsmouth. During the inquest, Dunn was asked how often Minnie-Rae would play on the balcony. She replied: 'Not all the time, but sometimes.' The inquest heard Minnie-Rae sometimes coloured and painted on the balcony, which had a wall that was 1.5m (5ft) high. Dunn said a pouffe that was usually positioned close to the door on the balcony had been moved. 'Someone went out for a fag and moved it and didn't move it back,' she told the inquest. She also told the coroner that on the day of Minnie-Rae's death, she had smoked a joint of cannabis in the morning and another at around 5pm. The coroner asked her whether she thought this had impacted her ability to look after Minnie-Rae. She replied: 'No, it never has before.' The inquest heard that in the late afternoon and early evening, Minnie-Rae went on to the balcony. Dunn said: 'I said no at first. I'm a sucker for her eyes, I ended up giving in and that is the biggest mistake of my life.' Delivering his conclusion, Pegg said: 'There were a number of black bin bags containing clothes, distributed and cluttering the balcony. 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.'
Telegraph
28-05-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Girl fell to her death after mother let her play on balcony
An eight-year-old girl fell to her death after her mother let her play on the sixth-floor balcony of her home, an inquest has heard. Minnie Rae Dunn, who lived with her grandmother, had been visiting the home of her mother, Rebecca Dunn, in Wingfield Street, Portsmouth when she suffered the fatal fall some time after 6pm on Aug 24 2023. The hearing was told that the balcony was 'cluttered' with about eight bin bags containing old clothes and a cushioned pouffe chair when Minnie Rae had gone out to play on it with another girl. Giving evidence, Ms Dunn described her daughter as 'sassy' and a 'good kid', and said that she would sometimes go on to the balcony when she visited. The inquest was told that the balcony had a brick-wall about a metre high with anti-pigeon netting above. Ms Dunn said the pouffe was normally against the window but had been moved against the wall by someone who had gone out for a cigarette. She added that she initially refused to let her daughter and the girl go on to the balcony that day, but that she ended up 'giving in', describing it as 'the biggest mistake of my life'. Ms Dunn admitted she had smoked cannabis earlier in the day, and the inquest heard that she told police it did not make her 'drowsy' but made her 'calm'. She told the hearing: 'I did it for my mental health, it's not like I smoked it all day.' Coroner Jason Pegg asked her: 'Do you think it impacted on your ability to look after Minnie Rae?' to which she answered: 'No.' Ms Dunn added that she had not been able to grieve yet for her daughter and said she was an 'emotional mess'. The inquest was told the other girl had attempted to grab Minnie Rae as she fell and said to police: 'I couldn't hold on, my hand slipped off as she was moving really fast.' Mr Pegg told the hearing that a neighbour reported seeing Minnie Rae standing up on something before the fall. Describing Minnie Rae, her grandmother Dorothy Kenney told the hearing: 'She was happy, she loved her family, she loved her school and her friends, she just liked to go out playing, going to different places on holiday.' Recording a conclusion of accidental death, Mr Pegg said: 'This was a desperately dreadful and tragic accident.' Paying tribute to Minnie, Ms Dunn said in a statement previously released through police: 'My angel, I am going to miss your sassiness and the way you spoke your mind. 'Your big bright smile that always melted my heart will be missed so much. 'I have a hole shape in my heart that will always be there. My little angel fly high, I love you to the moon and back. Mummy.' Hampshire Constabulary previously confirmed that a 43-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of neglect was released without charge.
