Son, 23, falls to tragic death when balcony ‘gives way’ | UK | News
23-year-old Joshua Robbins died after falling from a balcony (Image: PA)
A mother is warning people living in apartment blocks after her son fell to his death when the railings on the balcony of a housing association block collapsed.
Joshua Robbins, 23, died after falling five stories to his death while looking for pizza he ordered from the shared balcony outside the apartment where he lived with his father, his mother said.
The incident took place at around 20.20 on January 29 at the Holborn apartment in London. Images shared on social media showed a police forensics tent outside the block, with the fifth-floor balcony’s railings missing.
Heartbroken mother Fiona Garrett has launched the “fall no more” campaign in her son’s honor and is urging anyone living in high-rise buildings to demand homeowners check the safety of their railings.
“We shouldn’t be planning killings. We shouldn’t be waiting for pathology reports. We shouldn’t be writing statements like this or trying to navigate trauma and bureaucracy at the same time. We’re looking for answers, not just for Josh, but so that no other family has to endure this pain. Not just one more,” she said. my london.
The family is also running a fundraiser to help secure legal representation and cover the financial consequences of Josh’s unexpected death. The mother is demanding answers from Islington and Shoreditch Housing Association, which she says manages the property.
Joshua Robbins (Image: Statement)
The 46-year-old, who lives in Claudy, Co Londonderry but is originally from Essex, emailed his son’s local MP, the Prime Minister, asking for a meeting as part of his campaign for justice.
He told the Press Association: “They came right back and acted as if we wanted to help and were asking for information and stuff, which is a good thing. It actually brought relief.”
“Oh, well, if I get an answer it’s just your bog standard, it’s written by someone else and he doesn’t even know it’s gone, but the fact that he wrote it and signed it himself and wrote a little something extra seemed really sincere.
Keir Starmer wrote that “investigations are being made and we will continue to do what we can to help you get answers”, adding that the constituency office “will remain in regular contact”. “My thoughts are with you,” he handwritten before signing his name.
A meeting has not yet been arranged and no inquest date has been set while investigations are ongoing.
Ms Garrett said she wanted to know “everything” about the circumstances surrounding her son’s death and was driven by “adrenaline and anger” to get the answers she and her family needed.
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“I’m just worried it’s going to be a bit like Grenfell where they’re going to start taking responsibility saying oh well we own the building but we didn’t do that, it was contracted to oh but that’s just why we did it,” he said.
Remembering her son, she said: “Josh was deeply loved. He was kind, gentle and quietly thoughtful, the kind of young man who made people feel valued around him. He had plans and hopes for the future. Our lives are irrevocably changed by his death.”
Pippa Fleetwood-Read, Chief Executive of Islington & Shoreditch Housing Association (ISHA), said: “The death of Joshua Robbins is deeply saddening and everyone at ISHA sends our sincere condolences to his family and friends at this difficult time.
“We are co-operating fully with the police and investigation but at this early stage it would be inappropriate to comment further until the full facts of the incident have been established.”
