'Happy' and 'loved' girl died after falling from Portsmouth tower block in 'tragic accident', inquest hears

Minnie-Rae Dunn, eight, died after falling from Pickwick House in Wingfield Street, Buckland, on August 24, 2023, a short time after 6pm. Emergency crews rushed to the scene but were unable to save the Ark Ayrton Primary Academy pupil.

Portsmouth Coroner’s Court heard how Minnie-Rae, who lived with her grandparents Dorothy and Ian Kenney in Southsea, was visiting her mum Rebecca Dunn who lived at the tower block when tragedy struck.

Despite initially denying Minnie and another girl’s request to play on the balcony, Ms Dunn allowed the pair out onto the “cluttered” one-metre high balcony unsupervised, but said she was checking the girls “every five minutes”.

The inquest heard how there were several black bin bags with clothes inside and a pouf chair that had recently been pushed up against the bricked wall of the balcony having usually been by the window.

A concerned neighbour, Shannon Crystal, witnessed the children playing on the balcony moments before the incident. She said: “(Minnie-Rae) made herself taller by climbing on something. I could see her torso below her waist.”

After returning to the balcony a few minutes later the resident witnessed a huge commotion below with emergency crews at the scene after Minnie-Rae had fallen. Netting below the balcony was “torn and ripped down”.

Another resident, Tina Haw, was in the kitchen when the desperate screams of a man were heard. “I looked over and saw a child fall and heard a loud dull thud where the child hit the ground,” she said. “The man was screaming, ‘god, oh god’. I called 999 for assistance.”

A third resident, Maria Harris, recalled being in her kitchen when she witnessed Minnie-Rae falling. “I saw a body fall in front of me and heard a loud bang. I went to the balcony and saw (Minnie-Rae) on the ground lying on her front.”

The inquest heard how desperate efforts were made to grab Minnie-Rae as she fell by the other girl on the balcony but her “hand slipped off”. The girl added: “I grabbed her leg and couldn’t hold on.” The girl said Minnie-Rae had been on the pouf cushion with her back against the wall.

After Minnie-Rae fell, the girl ran into the flat to tell Ms Dunn, saying: “Minnie fell.” Ms Dunn said: “I grabbed my phone and ran downstairs.”

The inquest heard that despite the best efforts of emergency services, Minnie-Rae died at the scene. Her cause of death was recorded as her suffering multiple injuries consistent with a fall from height.

When questioned by coroner Jason Pegg during the hearing, Ms Dunn said of her decision to allow her daughter to play on the balcony: “I gave in and it is the biggest mistake of my life.”

When the coroner said there was “not much space for them to play (on the balcony)”, Ms Dunn replied: “I do agree.”

The hearing was told how Ms Dunn had smoked a cannabis joint around an hour before the tragedy, which she had told police was to make her “calm”. When asked by Mr Pegg if smoking cannabis had impacted her ability to look after Minnie-Rae, the mum said: “No.” She added: “I did it for my mental health, it’s not like I smoked it all day.”

Asked whether she had since reflected on events and how Minnie-Rae came to fall, the mum said: “I can’t because (of the) situation where I’m vulnerable.”

Ms Dunn said she would allow her daughter to occasionally play on the balcony when visiting on previous occasions. “She would colour or paint and sometimes go out and sit and play. It depended what mood she was in,” she said.

She described her daughter as “sassy” while Minnie-Rae’s grandmother Mrs Kenney, who the child lived with, said: “She was happy and loved her family, she loved school and her friends and liked to go out playing and on holiday. She was just a happy girl.”

When asked if she was a sensible or careless type of child, Mrs Kenney said: “She would charge around the house a bit. When it came to danger she was quite a savvy girl. But she could be a bit clumsy.”

Mr Pegg, recording an accidental death verdict, said Minnie-Rae was “loved by all the family” and would visit her mum at Pickwick House and go out on the balcony on occasions, which he described as “cluttered” with “very little space for them to go and play”.

Speaking of the tragic incident, the coroner said: “Minnie-Rae stood on something and elevated herself so her waist was above the wall of the balcony. Minnie-Rae then fell. (The friend on the balcony) made vain attempts to try and stop her falling.”

Mr Pegg described it as a “desperately tragic accident” and told family members: “I’m sure all of the family who loved her so much will have fond memories and will cherish those memories.”

Police previously said a 43-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of neglect was released without charge.