An 11-year-old girl who died in hospital after collapsing in the bathroom at her family home was ‘punched in the heat of the moment’ by her half brother – but he will not face prosecution, an inquest heard.
Falaq Babar died in hospital more than three weeks after being found on the bathroom floor at her family home on February 20, 2022.
The inquest heard how police felt there was sufficient evidence to charge her grown-up half brother Suhail Mohammed – who admitted throwing the punch in a text message to his girlfriend – with manslaughter.
But the Crown Prosecution Service declined to proceed – partly due to ‘complex medical evidence’ yet to be heard by the inquest about whether Falaq may have had an ‘underlying’ medical condition.
The inquest also heard Falaq’s parents would not allow police to speak to her younger siblings, aged five and seven, who had been in the bathroom when the incident happened.
Falaq Babar died in hospital more than three weeks after being found on the bathroom floor at her family home on February 20, 2022
Mr Mohammed said he had heard a commotion from inside the bathroom, with Falaq ‘screaming her head off’, and shoulder-charged the door because it was stuck.
It flew open with such force he left a hole in one panel and cracks on the inside. The door hit his younger sister and she fell back, he claimed.
In a 999, Mr Mohammed told the call handler his sister had ‘slipped’.
But the coroner then heard details of a series of text messages he sent his girlfriend Sahar Fiaz, in which Mr Mohammed told a different story.
The messages were first read at a previous inquest last November which was adjourned so police could reopen their investigation.
Mr Mohammed wrote: ‘I’ve killed Falaq.’
Ms Fiaz replied: ‘WDYM’ (What do you mean).
He responded: ‘I’ve punched her in the head.’
Ms Fiaz had then asked: ‘Why are you hitting her for?’
Mr Mohammed replied: ‘IDEK’ (I don’t even know).
The inquest is scheduled to last for four days at Rochdale Coroner’s court (pictured)
He went on to say his sister was being taken to hospital because she was ‘sick’ and ‘unconscious’ before Ms Fiaz then asked: ‘What she did that you hit her (sic)?’
Mt Mohammed responded: ‘0 (zero). Screaming her head off.’
Ms Fiaz then said that he ‘shouldn’t have done that’.
Mr Mohammed said he ‘didn’t know’ he was going to ‘knock her out’ and Ms Fiaz then accused him of being ‘heavy handed’.
‘It was the heat of the moment.’ he replied.
The text exchange ended with Ms Fiaz saying: ‘In sh’Allah (God willing) she’s OK.’
Giving evidence at the abandoned inquest, Mr Mohammed had told how he found Suhail on the floor on the ‘other side of the door’ before helping her up.
The second inquest yesterday heard how Falaq’s family had been preparing to travel to Bradford from their home in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, that morning to get clothes for the wedding.
Analysis of the 999 call, the inquest heard, showed Mr Mohammed speaking to family members in the background and urging them to ‘pray to God’ and not ‘make big deal’ out of the incident, and: ‘Don’t tell, don’t disclose’.
Greater Manchester Police launched an investigation after Falaq was taken to hospital, where she died on March 18, 2022, after suffering a bleed to the brain.
Mr Mohammed, the inquest heard, was arrested on suspicion of assault but had answered no comment during police interviews after making a prepared statement.
At the inquest yesterday, he declined to answer any questions from coroner Joanne Kearsley about the text messages.
Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Round, who led the investigation, said he had ‘formed a suspicion’ Falaq may have been assaulted.
Elizabeth Moss, a crime scene investigator, said she had been able to open the door easily without it sticking and there was no evidence it had been bolted shut.
DCI Round said he’d been concerned because there had been a ‘strike’ to the door and he’d requested permission from the family to allow police to speak to Falaq’s younger siblings then aged 5 and 7.
He told Ms Kearsley – who described the children as key witnesses – that his ‘repeated’ requests had been refused.
DCI Round said he felt there was sufficient evidence for the CPS to consider a charge of manslaughter but no further action was taken due to medical evidence.
Ms Kearsley said there were three possible theories: that Falaq was punched, she’d suffered a coincidental medical episode, or the bathroom door had struck her and she’d stumbled back and hit her head.
Earlier, Falaq’s grandmother Zabida Bebi was repeatedly asked by Ms Kearsley about a witness statement she gave to police as well as comments she made in Punjabi that could be heard on the 999 call.
Ms Bebi told officers she’d heard Falaq had been ‘punched’ or a door had been punched and is said to have asked: ‘Who has hit her?’
But she repeatedly told Ms Kearsley that she ‘couldn’t remember’ how she had got the information and was ‘upset’, before saying she’d heard Falaq’s younger siblings talking about a punch.
Falaq’s mother Shazia Bi said she couldn’t recall any conversation about a punch because she was tending to Falaq.
The inquest, scheduled for four days, continues.
