Starmer’s letter to parents whose son died in fall from flat ‘brought comfort’

Will Robbins, 49, watched his son fall to his death.

Fiona Garrett, Joshua’s mother, said she is fronting the fight for answers as her ex-husband is “extremely traumatised”.

The 46-year-old, who lives in Claudy, Co Derry, but is originally from Essex, sent an email to her son’s local MP, the Prime Minister, requesting a meeting as part of her campaign for justice.

She told the Press Association: “They came back straight away and they were like we want to help and they’re asking for information and stuff so that’s good.

“It did bring comfort actually.

“I thought oh well, if I get a reply it would just be your bog standard, written by someone else (response) and he just won’t even know that it’s gone out, but the fact that he wrote it so he actually signed it himself at the bottom and wrote a little bit extra, it did seem really genuine.

“When I showed Will he was just like oh my god the Prime Minister knows who our son was.

“I said I’d even write to the King if I had to. The point is that he did matter, and he does matter, and everyone’s child should matter.”

In the letter, Sir Keir wrote that inquiries “have been made and we will continue to do all we can to help you get answers”, adding that his constituency office will “remain in regular contact”.

He handwrote: “My thoughts are with you” before signing his name.

No meeting has yet been set and no inquest date has been scheduled either while investigations take place.

Ms Garrett said she wants to know “everything” about the circumstances of her son’s death and is driven by “adrenaline and rage” to get the answers she and her family need.

“I just worry that it’ll be a bit like Grenfell, they’ll start passing the buck of oh well we own the building but we didn’t do that, that was contracted to oh, but we only did it for this,” she told PA.

“It’s going to be very long, drawn out and very complex I think to pin it to exactly who is responsible, so I think that’s going to be the challenge to be honest, but I’m fuelled with adrenaline and rage so I’m well up for that.”

She called her son a “sweet wee lad”, and said “no one can prepare you” for losing a child in such a “shocking” way.

“For years when he moved to London coming from such a small village… it was always like stay away from gangs, stay away from knives, if you see any trouble you just run don’t try and be a hero, if you’re on a bus and it kicks off, get off,” she said.

“All these things I was panicking about and yet the one place he’s supposed to be safe, this happens. That’s what is making me so angry. This was completely preventable.”

The mother has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for legal representation and getting expert opinion which has so far raised almost £1,200 of its £10,000 target.

“I want to make sure that this can bring about some sort of positive change,” she said.

“I want to start a campaign called No More Falls… I want something as Josh’s legacy to keep other people safe.”

The crowdfunder can be found here.

Islington and Shoreditch Housing Association told the BBC earlier this month that it was “fully co-operating with the police and their investigation” and that it was “too early” to comment further.

The housing association’s chief executive Pippa Fleetwood-Read said Mr Robbins’ death was “deeply saddening”, and sent “sincere condolences” to his family and friends, the broadcaster reported.