Asylum barge death followed 'mental health struggle'

Leonard Farruku became withdrawn following the death of his mother, the inquest heard

The family of an Albanian man who died on board the Bibby Stockholm have questioned how someone with his mental health issues could have been housed on the barge.

Leonard Farruku, 27, was found unresponsive in a shower cubicle on board the Home Office accommodation vessel at Portland Port, Dorset, on 12 December 2023.

At an inquest in Bournemouth, Mr Farruku's sister, Marsida Keci, said he had "struggled" since the death of his parents in 2013 and 2018.

She said he was upset and seemed down after moving into a Home Office hotel, and stopped responding to messages in August 2023.

In a statement, Ms Keci and her sister Jola, who both live in Italy, said their brother - whose nickname was Nardi - came to stay with her in Italy following the death of their parents but he appeared "withdrawn".

She arranged for him to see a psychologist when he returned to Albania. However, he did not continue the sessions.

Leonard Farruku was found unresponsive on the Bibby Stockholm barge

Ms Keci said, when he came to the UK, Mr Farruku initially lived with two cousins but contact became more infrequent after he moved into a Home Office hotel.

She said: "Initially he seemed OK but after he had been at the hotel for a while, he seemed to be struggling.

"He told me he was having issues with the staff and found the hotel conditions very difficult. He was upset and seemed to be feeling down more."

Ms Keci said she had "no idea" her brother had been moved to the Bibby Stockholm.

After August 2023, he stopped responding to calls and messages.

"We started to get more and more worried as no one could get in touch with Nardi," she said.

Mr Farruku arrived in the UK by boat, according to his cousin

Ms Keci said the family wanted to know why her brother was moved to the barge "when it seems his mental state was clearly not right".

Mr Farruku's cousin, Edison Hakani, said Mr Farruku arrived in the UK by boat from France and was processed by an immigration centre at Heathrow before he and another cousin, Mariglen Farruku, arranged for him to live with them.

Mr Hakani said his cousin was given a place at a hotel in Paignton, Devon, with the assistance of the Migrant Help charity, but he also lost contact with him in August 2023.

The inquest heard a post-mortem examination found he died as a result of compression to the neck and suspension by ligature.

A previous hearing was told there were "no suspicious circumstances" to his death.

The inquest continues.

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