I am deeply saddened that Mercy is gone from this world. Adriel will never grow up having his mother by his side. Mercy was a star, a beautiful human being. She lit up everybody’s lives. She was helpful and gave people time and a listening ear, which is so rare these days. Lockdown provided us a chance to to be good, loving parents together, even though we were living apart.
Mercy and Adriel were due to move to a new flat provided as part of their Home Office support. Mercy told me that Mears would be moving her. We agreed that she would call me after they came to move her on Wednesday 19 August 2020. If she was happy with the new flat then I would help her move the rest of their things from the old place. When I did not hear back from her on Wednesday, I assumed she was busy with the move. I did not have the new address because Mears does not give the m address to asylum seekers until they move them.
On Thursday 20 August, I called Mercy’s friends to ask if she has been in touch. She had not. I went to the old flat to check if they were there. I pressed the doorbell and knocked on the door repeatedly. I called Mercy’s name, I called her phone for over an hour. I could not hear Adriel’s voice. I thought that they must have moved to the new place. At that point I was upset with Mercy. I thought she was ignoring me.
If I had known the new address I would have gone there to check if they had in fact moved. And I would have called the police to raise the alarm. Little did I know, that my baby son was left to starve on his own in his cot for a period of 3 to 4 days, clutching an empty baby bottle, while his mother was lying in the hallway.
The pain and suffering caused could have been minimised had the alarm been raised earlier.
Mercy told me that she received a communication from Mears that she had been granted support and that they would be moving her on Wednesday 19 August. At this stage, I want to know:
Did Mears staff go to the flat to pick up Mercy and my son on Wednesday 19 August as they promised they would?
Why did they not inform me or anyone else that Mercy had not answered the door.
On behalf of our baby son Adriel, I wish to thank the citizens of Glasgow, the people of Scotland and all over the world for so generously donating to the CAF and GoFundMe appeals.
This money will be used firstly to pay for Mercy’s funeral costs. After this, it will be used to ensure Adriel’s future welfare. An independent trust fund is being set up with an established firm of solicitors here in Glasgow.
I wish to thank the Radiant and Bright charity for being there for me and my son; the staff of the NHS, Adriel’s health visitor all of whom who cared for Adriel in the first days of him being found. I also wish to thank the police officers who attended on Saturday 22 August to a scene of trauma. I wish to thank Positive Action in Housing for their support in helping me ensure my sons rights and my own position as his father.
As we are grieving for our loss still, I would ask that any and all media enquiries are directed to Positive Action in Housing who represent myself and my family.