Everything we know as mum and daughter are found dead four months after calling for ambulance that never came
Tragic new details have emerged this week during an inquiry into the deaths of a British mother and her teenage daughter.
The bodies of Alphonsine Djiako Leuga, 47, and 18-year-old Loraine Choulla were discovered by police in the town of Radford, Nottingham, in May of last year - just four months after the pair called for an ambulance that never came.
Appearing in court this week, officials from Nottingham Police, the Nottinghamshire Coroner's Service and East Midlands Ambulance Service have spoken out.
A heartbreaking letter written by Alphonsine's eldest daughter was also read for attendees, shedding light on the devastating circumstances that contributed to the pair's passing.
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Here's everything we know about the case so far.
Who were Alphonsine Djiako Leuga and Loraine Choulla?
Sadly, little is known about the lives of Alphonsine and Loraine.
Her eldest daughter, Elvira Choulla, recalls the duo having enjoyed a loving relationship, during which Alphonsine was always 'very patient' with her youngest, and was nothing but 'loving' towards her.
Alphonsine had sickle cell anaemia - an abnormality in the protein found in red blood cells that carries oxygen around the body, and can cause periodic episodes of extreme pain and an increased risk of contracting infections.
In January, four months before her death, she'd been treated in hospital for a lower respiratory tract infection.
Two days later, Alphonsine argued that she needed to return home to her daughter and was granted a 'pragmatic discharge', but was advised to return to the facility the following day, which she did not do.
Despite her own health woes, Alphonsine was also her daughter's carer, with Loraine being 'entirely dependent' on her due to her having learning difficulties and Down's Syndrome.
In the years before their deaths, Alphonsine had reportedly restricted access to support services, said to have feared the removal of her daughter from her case.
She also decided to remove Loraine from school in 2022, in fear that she was 'being neglected'.
Concerns from friends
Locals from the Radford area reportedly had concerns regarding their well-being.
Speaking to The Guardian within the last year, local food and wine shop owner Jeya Bavanantharajah claimed Alphonsine had voiced her difficulties in feeding her child.
He also recalled her asking him if she'd be able to buy some food on credit.
"She asked me if she could have a couple of frozen pizzas on credit," he told The Guardian. "She brought the money back two weeks later, it was £2 or £3."
Babatunde, a butcher and grocery shop worker, also claimed that Alphonsine had confessed to him the December prior that she wasn't able to heat her house, having been left unable to pay her heating bill.
He also alleged that the last time he'd seen her, in February, she had a 'swollen' face and had complained about the cold.
What happened to the mother and daughter?
On 21 May 2024, after these concerns were raised to local police, authorities who broke into the property discovered the bodies of Alphonsine and Loraine inside their home.
The Nottingham & Nottinghamshire Coroner’s Service later confirmed that Alphonsine had died of 'pneumonia of uncertain cause', whilst the cause of Loraine's death remains 'unascertained'.
Which details have emerged during the inquest so far?
An official inquest into the mother-daughter duo's death is continuing this week.
In court, a gut-wrenching letter written by eldest daughter Elvira - who moved out of the family home in 2022 - was previously read out to attendees.
In it, she recalled last seeing her mother and sister for a 'lovely meal' in November 2023, but claimed that, stopping by the property months later, Leuga's home was 'in darkness and there were no signs of life'.
She also claimed in the latter that the gas had been switched off.
Despite her concerns, a neighbour informed Elvira at the time that she'd seen Leuga and Choulla in February. Therefore, the eldest child opted not to report them missing at the time.
During the hearing, pathologist Dr Stuart Hamilton went on to tell attendees the pair could have been dead for 'weeks to months' prior to the discovery of their bodies.
More details are expected to emerge in the coming weeks.
What has the East Midlands ambulance service said?
Previously in court, attendees heard from representatives of the Nottingham & Nottinghamshire Coroner’s Service that Alphonsine had attempted to call an ambulance to the property on 2 February.
During the call, she reportedly told the handler that due to her own poor health, she'd been left cold and unable to move.
"Would you send an ambulance? Please come, please," Alphonsine is believed to have told the dispatcher.
In response to this, Susan Jevons - head of patient safety at the East Midlands Ambulance Service - claimed in court this week that the dispatcher had tried repeatedly to contact Alphonsine after the call ended.
She added: "The ambulance didn’t go to the address because the emergency medical adviser, thinking it was an abandoned call, closed the call down."
Jevons went on to apologise for 'all of the errors' made by the East Midlands Ambulance Service, claiming that the team's failure to dispatch an ambulance should 'never have happened'.
In Court, Dr Hamilton suggested the possibility that Leuga had died the day she called for an ambulance.
Asked if Loraine’s death may have been because of dehydration or malnutrition, the medic went on to answer: "There is nothing in my findings that say any of that is incorrect."
Tyla contacted the East Midlands Ambulance Service for comment.
Rhianna Benson