'I've done something terrible': Staffordshire teacher smothered son, 2, before taking own life
Warning: this article contains details of an upsetting nature
An inquest has heard how an English teacher from North Staffordshire smothered her two-year old son, before taking her own life in a prison cell.
Ayesha Henna Ali suffered a "breakdown" and killed her child while he was in bed.
Ali who was 35, was a Keele University graduate from Newcastle-under-Lyme, living in Finland at the time.
After Adam's death, she video-called her mother, saying "I've done something terrible".The alarm was raised but Adam had already died when police got inside the apartment near the Finnish capital of Helsinki, on 19th January 2020.
Ayesha also had self-inflicted wounds.
Nineteen days after killing her son, Ayesha was found hanged in her prison cell. She was confirmed dead in hospital on the 6th February 2020.
The inquest, held at Stoke Coroner's Court, heard Ayesha was described by her parents as a 'lively, kind and clever' woman, but her mental health took a downward spiral in April 2019, after the relationship with her husband broke down.She had appointments with mental health critical care teams in April and May 2019, but seemed to be improving by August 2019 and was discharged.
She then moved from Newcastle-under-Lyme, to Finland.
"I do not deserve to live"
Ayesha wrote in her statement before killing herself:
“I put my son in the bath around 7pm and I gave him some fruit and yoghurt before putting him in my bed.
"He didn’t have his own room. He would hug me in the morning - it was the best".
She wrote how she thought about her life while her son lay there, saying she "didn't want him to be in pain".
Her note continued: "When I was arrested, I asked for the death penalty. He was my everything and I do not deserve to live.”The inquest heard from Ayesha's friend Alur Anypriya, who had received a call from Ayesha’s mother saying she was worried about her daughter.
Alur called Ayesha a few times before she answered the phone, and told Alur: 'I’ve done something terrible to protect my son'.In her statement, Alur said:
“I called emergency services and I spoke to Ayesha for around 15 minutes through the door because she wouldn’t answer.
"She said ‘It’s too late" ... and that she wanted to jump from the window. ... The police arrived and she was arrested.”The inquest heard Ayesha attempted to end her life in a prison cell while in custody.
The prison guard said he was not told by the police that Ayesha was suicidal, but he immediately raised concerns to the prison’s psychiatric clinic.Ayesha was then left alone in the cell - which had "white privacy paint" on the windows to abide by Finnish laws - for 20 to 30 minutes. She later died from severe brain injuries in hospital.
“She loved her child and couldn’t live one minute without him"
Ayesha's heartbroken mother Safia said:
“We have nothing left now, I have lost my only child and my only grandchild. We’ve lost our whole life.
"Ayesha had a Masters in Human Rights and wanted to help people. She was kind.“She loved her child and couldn’t live one minute without him. She ... thought she was giving her child peace.
"She never raised her voice at her child. She thought everyone was against her."I told her to come back to us [in the UK], but she wanted to stay in Finland so her son could see his dad ...
"The police came and I told her to let them in because they would help her, she said ‘No, they’ll take me away’. I told her to let them in and go with them.”Distraught dad Imtiaz Ali said:
"This was a matter of life and death and we feel it was neglect. There was no note of her suicide attempts."Police officer Timo Luoto gave evidence during the inquest. He explained how it was "one word against another" when it came to investigating whether the police or prison guard had failed to voice Ayesha’s thoughts of harming herself.The jury concluded a verdict of suicide, with the medical cause of death being by hanging.
If you've been affected by the issues in this report there are mental health support links: