Fashion designer plunged to death from sixth-floor flat trying to unblock clogged drain

A fashion designer from her home in a tower block as she climbed up to unblock a clogged drain.

Sarah McGreevy, 37, fell over the balcony of her flat in Hackney, east London, after clambering onto a wooden box to reach the congested pipe. Ms McGreevy, a senior creative designer with , sustained fatal injuries in the fall from her rented two-bed flat on June 16, 2024.

Her inquest was told how residents in the council-owned block had resorted to climbing onto balconies to manually unblock pipes. Inner north London assistant coroner Sarah Bourke said: "I found it was more likely than not Ms McGreevy had climbed onto the wooden box to clear the pipe and had accidentally fallen over the balcony.

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"The pipe had previously been repaired using heavy duty tape. Residents made police officers aware of problems with the guttering and drainpipes in the block. Police were told of residents on the fifth and sixth floors climbing onto their balconies to manually unblock pipes, particularly following heavy rainfall."

Police investigations did not reveal any evidence to suggest Ms McGreevy had any suicidal intent and ruled out third-party involvement. Mrs Bourke said photographs taken of Ms McGreevy’s hands following her death showed dirt around her fingernails, "consistent with undertaking a cleaning task".

The coroner has urged Hackney Council to fix the guttering issues to prevent further accidents, warning residents would likely continue the risky practice. In a prevention of future deaths notice, Inner north London coroner Sarah Bourke warned: "In the absence of remedial works, the practice of residents unblocking pipes themselves is likely to continue.

"Several residents reported a practice of climbing onto their balconies in order to clear blocked drainpipes. This practice carries a clear risk of falls.

"The leaseholder of informed me that he was not aware of any work being undertaken to the guttering or drainpipes to the block following Ms McGreevy’s death. In the absence of remedial works, the practice of residents unblocking pipes themselves is likely to continue."

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