Death of man, 27, whose passing is 'linked to conditions at mouldy rental property' will be probed by coroner who presided over inquest into two-year-old Awaab Ishak

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A man whose death is said to be linked to conditions at a mouldy rental property will be probed by a coroner.  

Luke Brooks, 27, died on October 25, 2022 at his family's Oldham house which was described as 'heavily mould-infested'. 

The property will be investigated by a microbiologist for mould that can cause the pneumonia that Mr Brooks suffered before his death.

Senior coroner Joanne Kearsley has opened an inquest into Mr Brooks' death at Rochdale Coroners' Court and stressed that the cause of his death, acute respiratory distress syndrome brought on by mould-caused pneumonia, is 'provisional' at this stage. 

The case comes months after she presided over hearings into the case of Awaab Ishak, who died in 2020 after being exposed to mould at his parent's housing association flat in Rochdale.   

The death of 27-year-old of Luke Brooks on October 25, 2022 in his family's Oldham house has been linked to mouldy conditions in the rental property 

Two-year-old Awaab died from a respiratory condition caused by black mould at his home in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, in 2020

Mr Brooks lived at a privately-rented home with his family. Rochdale Coroners' Court heard they had been living there for eight years prior to his death.

His family said he had been a 'fit lad'.

His parents made a number of complaints about the property being in a state of 'disrepair', the court heard. 

Paul Lever, police coroners' officer at GMP, told the court: 'Luke resided with his parents. He spent a lot of time in his room playing video games and left the house on a few occasions.'

Mr Lever said that days before he died, Mr Brooks suffered with 'difficulty breathing'. He felt 'weak' and developed a rash.

The court heard Mr Brooks tried to get an appointment with his GP before eventually turning to the NHS 111 service. He was told it was thought he had a 'viral infection' and to take ibuprofen.

Mr Lever told the court Mr Brooks suffered with breathing difficulties again on October 25. He had a 'fit in his bed' later that day, before he stopped breathing. Mr Brooks was then pronounced dead.

Greater Manchester Police confirmed an investigation into the death is ongoing.

Detective Inspector Judith Holmes told Ms Kearsley the landlord would be 'spoken to as part of this investigation' but was not named in court.

A microbiologist will inspect the property and check for aspergillus - a type of mould linked to the pneumonia Mr Brooks suffered from before his death, according to a post-mortem.

That examination suggested the condition was brought on by 'heavily-mould infested accommodation', with pneumonia leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome.

DI Holmes told the court about a visit to the property by officers and Oldham council environmental health officials on November 1. 

'The photos obtained by the council in respect of the home... there had been some cleaning done in the property between October 25 and the visit on November 1, Luke's room had actually been cleaned at that point,' she said.

'There was a small patch of mould growth above a radiator. They had already cleaned the internal walls of Luke's room, however it was untidy at that time. There were animals present during the visit.

'Oldham council visited the address in response to the family making complaints to the local authority. The property has a private landlord and the family have been in for around eight years.'

DI Holmes said the landlord had previously been asked to make improvements and carry out repairs. 

Asked by Ms Kearsley what those complaints involved, the officer replied: 'It was disrepair to the property as opposed to any mould in the property.'

The officer said 'no formal issues' were noted by environmental health officers at the time, but further police investigation followed. 

She said: 'As a result of the investigation conducted, there will be further examination, we have commissioned a microbiologist following the result of the post-mortem.'

Mr Brook's mother, Patricia, said in tribute to her son: 'He had a brilliant heart, he was funny. He was a wind-up merchant' 

DI Holmes added: 'At this moment in time, the investigation is looking at whether criminal offences may have been committed and also what opportunities the council may have had as well. But at this moment in time they are still keeping an open mind.'

The court heard that no photographs were taken of the mould inside the property by police on the day of Mr Brooks' death, although there is 'limited' body-worn camera footage from inside his bedroom. 

Commenting on the police's visit to the property following his death, Ms Kearsley added: 'At the time when officers attended, whilst mould was noted in the property, obviously everybody was keeping an open mind in relation to the death of a 27-year-old.'

The court heard Mr Brooks' family had 'concerns he was dissuaded from attending A&E by 111'.

Following the hearing, Mr Brooks' dad James said: 'Luke was a fantastic lad. He was a fit lad, he wasn't unfit. He was the nicest lad you could meet.

'He was a lovely human being. I was lucky to get 27 years with him. He never gave us any trouble. He was a good artist, he could play the guitar and the piano, he was very talented.'

Mr Brook's mother, Patricia, added: 'He had a brilliant heart, he was funny. He was a wind-up merchant. He had the patience of a saint, our Luke.

'He took over the cooking, he looked after me and James. He wouldn't leave our side. He was our angel, he was the spark in this house. He was the light.'

Evidence linked to Mr Brooks' death will be reviewed in May. A full inquest has been scheduled for August 7.

Last week, a damning report revealed Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH), responsible for the social housing property where Awaab Ishak lived with his parents, said refugees were 'lucky to have a roof over their heads'. 

Mould in the flat contributed to Awaab developing a continuous cough that meant he couldn't breathe through his nose in the final weeks of his life

The report found the family were 'not seen at all' and said 'their entire treatment was based on assumptions as to who they were and how they lived'.

One former member of staff reported to the Housing Ombudsman that a manager said living with mould was 'okay and acceptable'. 

The Ombudsman, releasing the findings of a special investigation into RBH initiated following the inquest into Awaab's death, highlighted a 'disturbing picture of residents being judged entirely by staff members' held prejudices, lazy assumptions and an attitude towards asylum seekers and refugees that is wholly unacceptable'.

Awaab, who lived with his parents Faisal Abdullah and Aisha Amin in a flat on Rochdale's Freehold estate, died in December 2020 - days after his second birthday. It followed prolonged exposure to mould and damp.

Staff had ill-informed assumptions that the family practised ritual bathing prior to Awaab's death (pictured) a damning report has revealed 

His parents, Ms Kearsley said at the inquest into his death, repeatedly raised concerns about the state of their home with the landlord, but nothing was done.  

MPs across the political divide have backed proposed law changes after a House of Commons debate earlier this month.

Ms Kearsley previously said the case should be 'defining moment' for the housing sector in how it deals an issue affecting homes across the country.