Amarnih Lewis-Daniel, 24, was discovered at Highview House, Hatch Grove, Chadwell Heath, on March 17, 2021, while a fire burned in her flat above.
She sustained “severe brain injuries”, East London Coroner’s Court heard today (November 23).
Jurors in her inquest were told how eight fire engines were scrambled to the tower block to what investigators later concluded had likely been a deliberate fire inside her flat.
The court was told firefighters found a mattress and a wooden cabinet had been placed against the front door, barricading her inside.
The blaze had been caused by “the naked flame of a cigarette lighter coming into contact with combustible material,” according to an investigation by the London Fire Brigade and the Metropolitan Police.
“A cigarette lighter was found clutched in the left hand of Miss Lewis-Daniel,” the report said, finding no evidence of third-party involvement.
“A deliberate act by the sole occupier cannot be discounted.”
The evidence was heard as an inquest into Amarnih’s death reached its fourth day.
A jury was sworn in on Monday, November 20, and told they must consider whether Amarnih deliberately brought about her own death, as well as whether the actions or inactions of certain public bodies contributed.
The Met Police, probation services, Barking and Dagenham Council and mental health service North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) are all represented by lawyers at the hearing.
On Thursday (November 23), jurors heard evidence about the evening of Amarnih’s death.
Jordan Bradley, an electrician from Woolwich, was visiting his partner at Highview House when he heard what he thought was an argument outside the building.
The commotion occurred at about 8pm.
“I assumed it was an estate squabble,” he wrote in a statement, read to jurors by coroner Nadia Persaud.
He heard an “alarmed and concerned” woman’s voice shouting: “What are you doing? Hey! Go back! What are you doing?”
He then heard a noise, followed by silence, before noticing blue lights flashing outside.
He went to the window, he wrote, and “saw a person lying directly below our flat.”
Downstairs, the building’s security concierge worker George Ayadeji was sat at his desk when a woman started banging on the door, the court heard.
She was “visibly shaking and panicked”, his statement said.
The woman led him out to the car park, jurors were told, where he saw a woman’s body laying in the car park.
At that moment, he saw fire engines arriving and had no idea why they were there. He was not yet aware that Amarnih’s flat was on fire.
The London Fire Brigade received three different calls about the blaze in Amarnih’s home, the court heard.
Medical staff were dispatched, including by helicopter, and arrived to find firefighters trying to revive Amarnih.
Dr Wei-Yun Mak told the court in a statement that Amarnih had sustained “severe brain injuries” and “a number of fractures throughout the body”.
Medical staff provided assisted breathing and performed some emergency surgery but were unable to revive her. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Pathologist Dr Ali Al-Hakim conducted Amarnih’s post mortem examination at Queen’s Hospital, Romford, on March 26, 2021.
He gave her cause of death as head injury, noting: “The features are in keeping with the effects of falling from a height.”
A day earlier, jurors had watched police body worn camera footage of Amarnih’s mother telling an officer of her concerns for her daughter’s mental health and that she was concerned about her living in a flat.
Mrs Persaud told jurors that toxicological tests had been performed to see whether any substances had been found in Amarnih’s body which could have impaired her decision-making.
The only substances found were a prescribed antidepressant and alcohol at such a low level that it could have been naturally occurring.
The inquest will resume next week.
When life is difficult, the Samaritans is available 365 days, 24/7. Call for free on 116 123, email [email protected], or visit www.samaritans.org.
Catch up on our exclusive, in-depth coverage of the Amarnih Lewis-Daniel inquest:
https://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/23944227.amarnih-lewis-daniel-inquest-witness-recalls-commotion/
