Mum and daughter missing for six months found dead in flat by engineers doing gas check

Zarin Adatia, 84, and her daughter Tasneem, 48, were found dead in their Barner Homes flat in East Finchley, North London, last November. They were last seen last April

A mum and her daughter were found dead in their flat six months after being last seen, with a coroner saying he was "at a loss" to explain their deaths.

The bodies of Zarin Adatia, 84, and her daughter Tasneem, 48, were discovered in a council flat in East Finchley, North London, by gas inspectors last November.

The pair, who were last seen in April last year, were not behind on their rent for their council flat run by Barnet Homes, and were not known to social services, Barnet Coroners' Court was told.

North London Assistant Coroner Peter Straker said there was no suicide note or any indication of forced entry, reports NottinghamshireLive.

Post-mortem and toxicology examinations revealed nothing because so much time had elapsed between their deaths and the discovery of their bodies.

Mr Straker gave an open verdict, stating: "Tash Adatia and her mother Zarin Adatia died together at their home address sometime before 24 November 2022."

Zarin's only surviving daughter Farah Mehta told the court that they spoke every day over the phone, particularly after Tasneem, known as Tash, was recently hospitalised for type two diabetes.

Contrary to her doctors' recommendations, she discharged herself from hospital after experiencing fatigue and suspected diabetic ketoacidosis, stating her mother, who she was the full-time carer for, could not be left alone overnight.

However, Mr Straker had no evidence that this caused her death, particularly given that she was medicated.

Ms Mehta told the court she suspected Tasneem could have fallen into a diabetic coma, given her medical history. However, she was distressed that there was zero evidence to explain how her mother died.

Mr Straker suggested it could have coincidentally been two "simultaneous" unexpected deaths, but he ultimately decided even that would be speculative.

A caretaker was concerned for the pair's welfare after they had not been spotted for several months, the court heard.

He then checked their second-floor flat windows and balcony, but could not see any signs that anyone was inside.

He raised it to his line manager at Barnet Homes who did not remember the conversation because there are frequently similar concerns casually raised by caretakers, the court was told.

The pair's bodies were discovered in the same room when gas inspectors broke into the property to complete an annual gas safety check.

Barnet Homes gas engineers had secured a court warrant to enter the property because the pair had not responded to inquiries about their annual gas safety check, including six letters, three telephone calls, and several door knocks.

A fan was whirring in the living room and Tash was lying near a knotted bag containing three empty sachets of painkiller co-codamol, and her mum was nearby.

The first responding officer PC Asad Iqbal said Tash's iPhone was charging next to her on a small bedside table.

Constable Iqbal called in Criminal Investigations Department (CID), but on investigation, they ruled the deaths were non-suspicious. Giving evidence via video link, Mr Iqbal said there was very little food in the fridge.

Further investigations, summarised in evidence provided to the coroner's court, came no closer to revealing how the pair died.

Mr Straker said: "It is an incredibly difficult case to get any handle on, to get any understanding on.

"I am left purely with speculation and I am not entitled to speculate as to what may have happened.

"When I read of your mother and how they were found I was left thinking about carbon monoxide, gas safety but there was no evidence of that being a contributory factor.

"I had a glancing thought towards suicide but found nothing to suggest that was a reasonable explanation.

"It is very difficult to think of anything that is not speculation and even natural causes might be speculation.

"I am at a loss. I don't know what to say."

Ms Mehta, who has lived in Scotland for several years and did so at the time of their deaths, posed many questions about the circumstances to the coroner and Mr Iqbal. She was visibly distressed when describing how she had some indication of how Tash may have died, but no such information existed for her mother.

Sat next to her young daughter in court, she said: "She stopped ordering a prescription in April, it wasn't right, everybody knows she was right on going [to collect it.] There was nothing to suggest she was suicidal - she was unwell, of course, she was feeling dizzy, or she needed to use the toilet a lot more.

"So if there was a thought pressing, it would be a diabetes coma sometime from April, if that was what happened to Tash. But what do we have for my mum? I’m left with, I don't know what. At least with Tash what we have got is the medical, she was unwell.

"But mum, Tash was her carer, mum was pretty much immobile. She didn't have a major health condition. Obviously she was elderly, but she was taken care of well. She had ailments you get at 80, but nothing that was life-threatening."

Tash, who was qualified in beauty and had several jobs including working in retail, was born in Nairobi, Kenya, and Zarin in Mombasa, Kenya.

A Barnet Council spokesperson said: "Barnet Homes tried repeatedly to contact Mrs and Miss Adatia.

"This included delivering six letters, two phone calls and three door knocks. We finally obtained a warrant for a forced entry which is when their bodies were found.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Mrs and Miss Adatia and we extend our sincere condolences to their family and friends."

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