Portsmouth man and woman arrested for neglect after toddler falls from fourth storey of flats

A TODDLER who was fighting for her life after falling from the fourth storey of an apartment block is now in a ‘serious but stable’ condition – with a man and woman in custody after being arrested for neglect following the incident.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

A two-year-old girl was airlifted to hospital on Thursday night with what was described by police as ‘life-threatening injuries’ after the incident at Mulberry House in Bedford Street, Somers Town, just after 6pm.

The junction of Bedford Street and St James’ Road was cordoned off by Hampshire Constabulary on Thursday as police investigated the circumstances around how the child suffered the serious injuries – with police continuing to look into events on Friday.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Police revealed the ‘condition of girl has changed to serious but stable’ after she plummeted up to around 40ft from the five-storey block.

Police presence outside Mulberry House, Before Street Portsmouth on 28 May 2020.

Picture: Habibur RahmanPolice presence outside Mulberry House, Before Street Portsmouth on 28 May 2020.

Picture: Habibur Rahman
Police presence outside Mulberry House, Before Street Portsmouth on 28 May 2020. Picture: Habibur Rahman

The authority also confirmed they have arrested a 29-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman, both from Portsmouth, on suspicion of child neglect.

A police spokesman said: ‘The girl is currently being treated at Southampton General Hospital where her condition is now described as serious but stable.

‘Our enquiries into the exact circumstances are ongoing at this time.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘We can confirm that a 29-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman, both from Portsmouth, have been arrested on suspicion of neglect of a child to cause unnecessary suffering/injury.’

The pair were also arrested for possession of a weapon for discharge of a noxious liquid/gas/electrical incapacitation device and possession of a Class B drug.

On Friday were in custody.

The street cordon had been lifted on Friday but forensic vehicles were seen outside the five-storey block with officers inside the apartment as investigations continued.

Read More
Residents speak of shock after toddler is seriously injured after falling from f...

A message from the Editor

Thank you for reading this story on portsmouth.co.uk. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to portsmouth.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit our Subscription page now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.