Sarah McGreevy

I am Sarah Bourke, HM Assistant Coroner, for the coroner area of Inner North London.

On 2 July 2024, HM Senior Coroner Mary Hassell commenced an investigation  into the death of Sarah McGreevy aged 37 years. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 6 November 2024. The conclusion of the inquest was  that Ms McGreevy had died from injuries sustained when she fell from her balcony on 16 June 2024. I returned a conclusion of accident. The medical cause of Ms McGreevy’s death was: 1a multiple injuries, 1b trauma, 1c fall from height.

Ms McGreevy was the assured shorthold tenant of [REDACTED]. The property is a 2-bedroom flat on the 6 th floor. The  freeholder of the premises is London Borough of Hackney. Around 9.40 am on 16 June 2024, Ms McGreevy fell to the ground from her balcony and sustained  fatal injuries. Police officers attended the scene and noted that there was a  wooden box on the balcony and Ms McGreevy’s mobile phone was on a window ledge next to the balcony. The phone was close to a downwards drainpipe which came from the floor of the 7 th floor balcony above Ms McGreevy’s flat  before diverting down the exterior wall to the block. The pipe had previously  been repaired using heavy duty tape. Residents made police officers aware of problems with the guttering and drainpipes in the block. Police were told of  residents on the 5 th and 6 th floors climbing onto their balconies to manually unblock pipes, particularly following heavy rainfall. The Police investigation did  not reveal any evidence to suggest that anyone else was involved in Ms McGreevy’s death or that she had any suicidal intent. Photographs taken of Ms  McGreevy’s hands following her death show dirt around her fingernails  consistent with undertaking a cleaning task. I found that it was more likely than not that Ms McGreevy had climbed onto the wooden box to clear the pipe and had accidentally fallen over the balcony.

During the course of the Inquest the evidence revealed matters giving rise to concern. In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths could occur unless  action is taken. In the circumstances it is my statutory duty to report to you. The MATTERS OF CONCERN are as follows. – (1) Several [REDACTED] residents reported a practice of climbing onto their balconies in order to clear blocked drainpipes. This practice carries a clear risk of falls. (2) The leaseholder of [REDACTED] informed me that he was not aware of any work being undertaken to the guttering or drainpipes to  the block following Ms McGreevy’s death. (3) In the absence of remedial works, the practice of residents unblocking pipes themselves is likely to continue.

In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe you and your organisation have the power to take such action.