Woman who killed girl, 11, after using poison to tackle bed bugs at her home AVOIDS jail
A WOMAN who killed an 11-year-old girl after using poison to tackle bedbugs in her home has avoided jail.
Fatiha Sabrin suffered a heart attack after Jesmin Akter used aluminium phosphide in a “desperate” bid to get rid of the pests.
The 33-year-old had scattered pellets of the substance, which is a regulated poison, around her flat in Shadwell, East London.
This was then activated by moisture to create the dangerous gas phosphene that travelled to Fatiha’s upstairs flat.
Akter today avoided jail and was instead handed a two year sentence suspended for two years after admitting manslaughter.
She also previously pleaded guilty to a further charge of importing a regulated substance from Italy without a licence after bringing it back to the UK on a plane.
The horror unfolded on November 26, 2021, when Fatiha woke her mum to say she felt ill and had been vomiting.
Paramedics were called but believed there was nothing suspicious and a carbon monoxide test found nothing untoward.
When other residents at the block of flat began showing similar symptoms, paramedics were called again and found Fatiha unconscious.
She was rushed to hospital in cardiac arrest and tragically died on December 11 – the day of her 11th birthday.
The court was told Akter had imported the substance, which is designed for pest control on farmland to protect crops, from Italy without a licence.
It is a regulated substance in the UK but requires a license to possess and use it.
Prosecutor James Dawes KC said the levels of the poison were between two-and-a-half and 26 times the lethal dose.
He told the court other children in the block became ill and vomited die to the effects of the gas.
The prosecutor added: “It is considered on a par with chemical warfare agents.
“It is generally accepted that children are more susceptible to its toxic effects than adults.”
The court was told Akter had been in a rush when she dropped the tablets, which had the word “poison” on them and a skull and crossbones.
She later admitted knowing the product was dangerous but did not know it was “killing dangerous”.
Multiple residents of the building had reported the bedbug infestation and there were also problems with rodents and cockroaches.
In a statement, Fatiha’s dad Mohammed Islam said his daughter’s birthday is now a date which haunts the family.
He also paid tribute to his “amazing, intelligent child” who “made friends with everyone”.
The dad said Fathia’s mother Kaniz is “heartbroken” and described the youngster as “her mother’s rock and best friend”.
