Woman denies killing girl, 11, with poison while trying to get rid of bedbugs

17 January 2024 , 13:36

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Fatiha went into cardiac arrest and she died shortly afterwards

A woman has denied killing an 11-year-old girl while trying to eliminate bedbugs in her home.

Jesmin Akter, 33, allegedly scattered aluminium phosphide around her flat in Shadwell, east London on 26 November 2021. The chemical was allegedly activated by moisture to create the dangerous gas phosphine which travelled to to the apartment above Akter's flat poisoning 11-year-old Fatiha Sabrin.

Fatiha went into cardiac arrest and she died shortly afterwards in hospital. Wearing a head scarf and aided by a Bengali translator Akter denied manslaughter and importing a regulated substance, namely aluminium phosphide, from Italy without a licence last week.

Fatiha could not be named at the plea hearing at the Old Bailey but Judge Simon Mayo amended an order preventing publication of her identity today as it was invalid. Orders under section 45 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 are usually made in relation to juveniles but cannot apply when the child has died.

The invalid order was originally made at Thames Magistrates' Court in August last year. Judge Mayo noted that the press had made representations that the order was invalid at the Magistrates' Court and that the matter should have been dealt with then. He said: "It is a pity that the matter was not dealt with at that stage because the matter, namely reporting restrictions, engages important principles of wide public importance and there is accompanying that a need to deal with applications relating to the nature and extent of those at the earliest opportunity. Clearly there was a missed opportunity to do that at the magistrates' court."

Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him

Outside the scene of the tragedy in Shadwell (Phil Harris)

He added: "Open justice is a principle of fundamental importance - it really does lie close to the heart and functioning of these courts and thus a democratic society and should be treated appropriately." Akter's flat was said to be 'riddled' with bedbugs and she had evacuated the building, along with her family, that night.

Akter, of Sutton Street, Shadwell, denies manslaughter and importation of a regulated substance. She remains on bail ahead of her three-week trial on July 1. Akter also further case management hearing on 19 April.

Ryan Fahey