Smirking brother stays silent at sister’s inquest over damning texts to girlfriend

The older brother of an 11-year-old girl who died after an incident in the bathroom of her family home told his girlfriend in text messages he ‘killed’ his sister, an inquest heard.

Suhail Mohammed, photographed smirking while arriving at court, also said in the texts ‘it was the heat of the moment’ and ‘I didn’t know it’s gonna knock her out’.

The exchanges, sent around the time an ambulance was called for schoolgirl Falaq Babar, were revealed as an inquest into her death resumed this week.

Greater Manchester Police applied to halt the inquest last year to investigate potential new lines of evidence.

But at the resumed hearing, police confirmed no further action was being taken after a file of evidence was sent to the Crown Prosecution Service.

The inquest heard two of Falaq’s siblings were apparently also in the bathroom with her at the time.

But DCI Stuart Round, who led an investigation into the tragedy, said parental consent to interview them wasn’t given by the family despite repeated requests.

Mr Mohammed was re-interviewed in relation to the texts sent to his girlfriend, but answered ‘no comment’, DCI Round said.

Mr Mohammed’s partner at the time, Sahar Fiaz, refused to give a statement, but said the messages ‘did not mean anything’, Rochdale Coroner’s Court heard.

Giving evidence last November, Mr Mohammed said he heard ‘bickering’ with a younger brother who wanted to get in the bathroom while Falaq was inside at the family home in Rochdale on February 20, 2022.

He told of using ‘quite a bit of force’ on the door to open it and described ‘barging’ it with his shoulder and elbow before finding Falaq on the floor near the radiator. He also suggested the door would often stick.

The court heard Falaq went in and out of consciousness and started being sick.

Mr Mohammed called for an ambulance, but Falaq’s condition deteriorated and she died in hospital almost a month later on March 18, 2022.

Senior Coroner Joanne Kearsley said medical evidence due to be heard this week may adduce Falaq had an ‘unknown, underlying’ brain condition.

Det Chief Insp Round said an investigation was initially launched into a suspected assault and Mr Mohammed was arrested, although he said it was unclear at that time what had actually happened.

The 999 call, he added, ‘suggested’ that she had been struck by the door.

Mr Mohammed gave a prepared statement, saying the family was going to Bradford that morning for clothes for a wedding.

His sister, he said, was helping shower the two younger siblings when the bathroom door got stuck.

DCI Round said Mr Mohammed said Falaq was pulling the door from the inside and he was pushing from the outside. The court heard Mr Mohammed said Falaq fell backwards. He then carried her downstairs and made the 999 call.

Mr Mohammed was later bailed, but text messages between Mr Mohammed and his girlfriend, Sahar Fiaz, emerged after analysis of his phone.

DCI Round added that he had ‘concern’ that it was a ‘strike’ on the door rather than ‘gradual force’ from the outside, but the court heard the lock and barrel weren’t damaged, suggesting the door wasn’t locked at the time, as Mr Mohammed has said it wasn’t.

The inquest heard that following the adjournment, four expert interpreters were drafted in by police to analyse voices heard in the background of the 999 call and what was being said.

One male voice, believed to be Mr Mohammed, was heard to say ‘we pray to God and we do not make a big deal as it is early in the morning’, the inquest was told. A female voice says ‘who hit her?’ and another says ‘don’t know’, it was said.

Coroner Ms Kearsley said three of the four interpreters referenced hearing the words ‘hit with a punch’ and ‘who has hit her?’

Det Chief Insp Round agreed with Ms Kearsley that the interpreters appeared to hear the words ‘who has punched her?’ and the words ‘hit or punch’.

He said Mr Mohammed was questioned over his alleged comment apparently heard in the background of the 999 call, but ‘did not explain what he meant’.

The detective said he said in a prepared statement that he was on the phone at the time to the emergency services and did not hear what was being said.

Det Chief Insp Round said he felt there was sufficient evidence to consult the Crown Prosecution Service in relation to Falaq’s death, referencing a possible charge of manslaughter – but, he said, the CPS ruled there was ‘no case’, a situation he said he believes concerned the ‘complexities’ of the medical evidence.

Falaq’s mum, Shazia Bi, said she called her sister-in-law and told her Falaq had fallen and was ‘not opening her eyes’.

Questioned by Ms Kearsley on the parental consent to allow Falaq’s siblings to be interviewed by police, she said they were young and ‘my kids’ and that she ‘did not want them to go through that’.

But she said she had spoken privately with them about what happened, and one told her ‘Suhail punched the door’.

Ms Bi said she didn’t want to speak about the text messages and Mr Mohammed, who gave evidence last year, was asked if he had anything else he wanted to add, but said he didn’t want to say anything more.

Mr Mohammed hasn’t been charged with any criminal offence at all.

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